Disclosure: My Awakening Blew My Reality Apart!

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Today is a Big Day For Me

As I sit at my keyboard, I realize that this is going to be one of the most difficult blogs I have ever written. However, what I am about to divulge needs to be said — it has taken me 3 years to pluck up the courage to out this to the world.

What stopped me before? My ego, I guess. As simple as that — what people would think of me. But it doesn’t matter anymore.

What matters is the truth. If the Canadian Minister of Defense can tell this to the world, then I can share this with you — my readers.

Disclosure from the Minister of Defense

If you have not seen the YouTube video yet, then I suggest you take out 9 minutes of your time to watch something that could be the most significant truth ever disclosed and the greatest catalyst of change that the world has yet to see:

The tears rolled down my face as I listened to this man talk about ‘alien’ civilizations and encouraging us to extend our mental grasp of life in the universe.

Why?

Because 3 years ago I had my awakening experience. I’ve pretty much kept it to myself barring a few of my close friends.

Am I Dreaming or Just Going Mad?

There is a very good reason I chose an ‘Alice in Wonderland‘ theme for my site — my awakening was like being pushed down that rabbit-hole and trying to cope with a reality gone mad.

“Curiouser and curiouser!” — Alice

I started having vivid dreams about people I had never met in my current life. These people even told me their names and ‘situations’, which I consequentially would Google the next day for validity.

To my shock and surprise, these people were real — all the information was true just as they’d laid out for me in my dreams. I’m not going to go into who and what this was about because it is personal and for my life path.

Tuning into the Matrix

The second thing to happen to me was I began to channel. I had never done this before and was alarmed and pleasantly surprised to find out that I could. The ‘entity’ that came through, called itself ‘Metatron’. Yes, as in one of the archangels from the bible.

Whether you want to call them angels, entities or energetic groups, is entirely up to your comfort in concepts.

I like to think of them as energy signatures that resonate to a certain frequency or level of understanding within us.

Conversations with God?

So, here I am, a mere humble artist, in contact with Metatron (sounds like something from that movie ‘Transformers’).

Well, it was quite transforming! The next thing he told me transformed my life even more and started to push me way outside my comfort zone.

‘Write the book’.

What book? I’m just an artist, I’m not a writer. You don’t know how many times I reiterated this fact to ‘him’ (I am referring to Metatron in the male personification for no particular reason). He didn’t budge. I resisted and he went to call God. Seriously, I still have the notes!

All God said was, ‘Agree to your obligation, write the book.’

Aye, aye, Captain!

Now you don’t want to argue with God, so I did as I was told and started to write my first book, ‘Divine You, Redefining Love in the New Earth’. I came up with the ‘Divine You’ part and Metatron came up with the subtitle (*grin*).

The book was not actually channeled in the traditional sense but it did come from my soul — a part of me that I was ‘mining’ for information.

The Strange Requests Begin

The only time Metatron intervened with the books process is when he asked me to put 2 chapters in — one was about ‘the trinity’ (*gulp* — I had to do copious amounts of research on this before I got it right) and the other was, have you guessed?

Aliens.

I have never had a problem with believing in life on other planets or intra-terrestrial/dimensional beings but I didn’t want to be branded as a UFO fanatic either.

Oh No! Please, Not Aliens!

My ego was out in full force with this one. I didn’t want to come across as a loon. My whole book would be discredited if I start talking about aliens.

None of this washed with Metatron as he began to usher me into a new understanding of what alien meant. After another long trip down the information highway, I started writing about this very difficult concept.

For those of you who haven’t read the book, I have made that chapter available here for you to read. Alien Territory — READ HERE.

I learned a lot that year. A lot.

My journey down the rabbit hole suddenly started to speed up…

My First Experience with the Pleiadians

One night, as I lay in bed listening to the radio, a voice popped into my head. There is just no other way to describe it. It said:

‘We are coming for you. We are the Pleiadians.’

Yes, now I know this may sound ominous but it really wasn’t — I was actually quite bemused. I had heard of the Pleiadians, so I was curious.

2 seconds later all the electricity went off in the room. The lights went out, the radio stopped. I started to pay attention (thankfully, my bladder was empty or I might have wet myself!).

Every instinct in my body was telling me to just relax and close my eyes, so I did. To my utter amazement, when I closed my eyes the whole universe was displayed at the back of my eyelids! Who would have thought?

It was amazing and an experience that I have only had the privilege to experience just one other time.

As I was looking around in awe, a wormhole started to open up (very much in the area of my third eye). I blacked out.

I woke up (what must of been a split second later). The voice was back. ‘That was too soon — travel into the hole.‘

Okay…so the whole process started again and I closed my eyes and was whisked down the wormhole this time but ‘blacked out’ soon after because I remember nothing else.

I have since also channeled some information from these star-beings. They call themselves our ‘extended’ family and, in my humble opinion, they are benevolent (or, at least the ones I encountered).

UFO’s and Mind Jobs

Since then I have had quite a few sightings where I stay — which is out in the sticks, near Cape Point. It is a star-gazers paradise because it is so dark — the night sky is a visual feast boasting the most magnificent view of the Milky Way.

Now that I had some weird experiences of the great unknown tucked under my belt, I made it a habit to go out every night, just for 5-10 minutes or so, to look out into the universe for signs of this galactic family we seem to have.

I wasn’t disappointed.

I can’t actually count the number of times (as there are too many) I have seem mysterious objects, UFO’s or just strange little orbs that float about haphazardly (definitely NOT satellites, as I know what they look like and they are usually on a straight course).

Some of these orbs shoot straight out into space. One of them came and hovered right above my head and then shot up and out of visual range.

I had my first incredible sighting one night. You can read about that HERE.

Wishing Upon a Star

But there is another incredible thing I want to tell you about. Believe it or not — this really happens.

I sometimes feel quite disconnected and I go outside and say, ‘If you’re out there give me a sign!’.

To which, on numerous occasions, I have seen a shooting star (I know, the cliche is almost embarrassing and I can sometimes feel Jiminy Cricket on my shoulder!).

One night, I was outside and feeling low. I looked up and said, ‘Metatron, if you can hear me send me a sign. Oh, and don’t make it a shooting star, I’m tired of those‘ (I did say this quite jokingly, of course. Metatron, as I came to know him, has a wicked sense of humour).

Does it come as a surprise then to know that about 1 minute later there was a red meteor shower? About 3 small flashes fell towards my neighbours yard and fizzled out about 3 meters before impact.

I was so stunned that I just laughed and walked back into the house in disbelief. I told my husband about it and he just said, ‘You shouldn’t test him like that, you know‘.

Lol…maybe not — but I am one of the worst doubting Thomas’s I know. I want constant proof that I’m not going bonkers. Or, at least, that’s how I used to be. I just don’t seem to care anymore.

Truth or Bust!

This is my truth, this is my life and this is how it happened. All these entities that I have conversed with seem to all have one underlying message — unconditional love. They want us to make it on our own, to realize our inherent and divine potential.

All that I have written above is what happened to me, take it or leave it. I wanted to come clean about it and I thank you for taking the time out to read it.

Have you had similar experiences?

Do you believe in life on other planets?

Are you convinced by what the Canadian Minister of Defense has to say or do you still think it’s baloney?

Did you know that the last Pope came out and disclosed that he believes there is life on other planets?

If you still believe we are alone, why?

The Freedom Checklist – What Every Human Being Needs to Know

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.

~Sigmund Freud

The Weight of the World

Hello Earthling! How nice of you to have dropped by this titillating planet filled with such great diversity and beauty.

What was that you said? Did you say that you:

Feel burdened by society and all that is wrong with the world?

You feel an overwhelming pressure to change the world?

Did I hear you right? Did you say that you even feel guilty or responsible for the state of the world?

What an awful burden it is to bear when we decide to take on the weight of the world, or on a lesser degree, the weight of another person’s choices or life.

Are you guilty of this? Yes…no…perhaps a little?

Are You Suffering From Mad Cow Disease?

Let me get clear on this. Sit down and make yourself comfortable because I need your undivided attention.

Holy cow! I only recently realized that I’ve been a complete idiot — a buffoon of the highest degree.

In what textbook did I read that I need to change the world, take over if I saw someone else suffering along their path or put every effort into making people see the world the way I see it?

Nope, can’t think of the name of that book so I must have somehow imagined it. But how many of you can say you feel the same way?

You may feel responsible for your partner, your grown up children, your friends and other members of your family. You may even take on the responsibility of complete strangers.

Light Bulbs and Cricket Bats

Let’s get straight to the juicy bit of this article — either you’re going to have an ‘a-ha’ moment or you are going to have to beat yourself over the head a couple of times with a bat to whack the sense home.

You were born here on planet Earth and the global problems were here, social structure (no matter how much you may dislike it) was already in place. Thanks to our ancestors, the worlds configuration was in place the moment you catapulted into reality — the good, the bad and the ugly. You are not responsible for what came before you. However, you ARE responsible for how you affect the world with your presence from this moment onwards. Every choice you make is part and parcel to your responsibility. Own it.

You were born on planet Earth and you needed to work out some of your own lessons and you’re doing great. When you decide to shift your focus onto another person’s lessons and try to tamper with their version of reality — you have made a crucial mistake. You don’t think the other person is capable of handling their own lives so you intervene. You may think you need to because your version of reality and what you think is the right way as it is working so well for you. True?

Nope. It is YOUR truth but it may not necessarily be another’s. When you try to control another individual or their path you are basically saying that they are weak and you are strong. Oops…not very nice. What’s more is you’re not even helping yourself out, you’re just taking on extra baggage.

Helping or Hindering?

Everyone needs to work out their own journey through life. It is your responsibility to love and respect them enough to give them space and to only help out when you are asked to. Get it?

You are disempowering another human being when you try to seize control or mold them into how you want them to fit into your life.

You are not responsible for any other human being but yourself (barring minors under your care, of course). Focus on yourself and be the best person you can be so that you can be that shining example to others. That is the only way you will make a positive change in someone’s life. You can’t go into their space and try to effect change.

The Prime Directive

You are responsible for your life. Your main responsibility is to be happy — you could even call this your ‘prime directive’or ultimate goal. If you are not happy it is your responsibility to sniff out the causes as to why you are not living in joy.

So, now say you have found your bliss but it hurts you when you see other people suffer and you want to help.

Keep Your Nose on Your Face

The stark truth is that they need to take responsibility for their life and choices. You can always help another human being but you should never force yourself or your way of life onto someone else.

To truly love someone is to accept them as they are and respect their life path. Can you do that?

Can you step into owning your life and taking responsibility for your choices today? If you do, the weight of the world will be lifted from your shoulders and you will experience a freedom like no other.

It’s okay to be here, it’s okay to be you and it’s okay to let other people be themselves.

You are only responsible for you. And thanks to the wise words of Gandhi, try to be the change you want to see in the world.

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Purpose Fairy

Other articles you may enjoy:

Are You Running Yourself into the Ground?

What Always Helps Me Out When I’m Stuck in ‘The Void’

How to Filter Your Blurbs

Are You Being Disillusioned by Reality?

3 Ways to Cure the Pushover Mentality

7 Things I Wish I Knew when I Was a Teenager

Are You Running Yourself into the Ground?

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

“Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie
Which we ascribe to heaven.”
~William Shakespeare, All’s Well That Ends Well

Let’s Play a Little Doctor Doctor

Say you get sick. Your physical body needs time to repair. A no-brainer?

It’s important to have down-time when your body is out of alignment physically — which we call having dis-ease or an ailment. We all know this. To carry on ‘as per normal’ when your body is feeling worn-out, sore or in pain is futile and leads to more suffering.

Let’s try this out on something slightly different…

Call in the Psychiatrist

So, now why can’t we seem to gift ourselves with the same ‘down-time’ when our emotional body is ‘sick’?

Sometimes we get into a slump or feel down — this is human! If we don’t let ourselves be in this space and give ourselves some time to get quiet, reflect and just ‘sit with it’, we can make it ten times worse. It can even lead to a stronger form of depression.

Denial of the space you’re in is suppressing something that is just going to come around again sometime in the future to nip your ass.

Peaks and Troughs

The other day I felt elated. Oh my wobbly, knitted hat! I was on cloud 9 and nothing could get me down. I had figured out life on earth and all the other idiosyncrasies therein and I was feeling good.

The next day I woke up in the pits of hell.

What happened?

Shit Happens

I could blame it on solar flares, the news, collective pain-bodies, minor psychosis, PPISS (Post Physical Incarnation Stress Syndrome — or taking ‘the piss’) or even schizophrenia — but there you have it, my mood swing saw me in tears by the end of the day wishing for it to all end.

I felt like a cop-out — someone who writes about how to get out of emotional quagmire and here I am sitting waiting for the ground to swallow me whole. I felt like such a hypocrite!

I even went over some of my ‘how to pull yourself out of depression’ stuff from my articles but it was too late for that. I was descending into the smelly pits of Beelzebub’s bowels.

Now, in my defense, some of that advice can and does work but this case was slightly different.

The next morning I woke up with the phrase ‘zero point’ in my head. I do this sometimes — have dreams or little ‘a-ha’ moments in my sleep or just before I’m rebirthed into a brand new day and I usually can recollect it soon after I awaken.

I sat on my couch with my morning cuppa, deep in contemplation over these two words…’zero point’.

Zone Out to Zone In

Zero point (in my understanding of it) is the whittling down of one energy to it’s lowest point in order to gain momentum to a new energy.

My ‘depression’ did feel like I had wound down to an almost nullified space, so this was intriguing.

Here’s the upshot of what came through when I meditated on this concept and what I should do about my feelings:

There is an elated, blissful, enlightened self
There is a shadow self
Merge the two
It’s okay to feel down and you don’t have to put your ‘Julie Andrews’ slippers on if they don’t fit in the moment
Be silent and sit with your feelings
What’s in it for you?
Find the source of the problem and bring it to the light
That’s how you merge the shadow and light self
You can’t just be one or the other — there’s no balance in that
Be a Gemini and merge the ‘celestial’ with the ‘corporeal’ (see here for the mythologically captivating tale of how the constellation ‘Gemini’ came about)

What the blazes am I on about? Simple:

It’s okay to feel the emotions of duality — there should be no judgment in that. Just find your balance (zero point). Don’t let either one swallow you whole or you will be out of alignment.

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.” ~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

You are both Glorious and Diabolical. Embrace it! Accept who you are fully and totally.

Other articles you may enjoy:

What Always Helps Me Out When I’m Stuck in ‘The Void’

3 Bizarre and Unreasonable Motives to Stay on the Planet

5 Easy Steps to Meditating (No Lotus Position Required)

How to Filter Your Blurbs

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Be Impeccable With Your Words

Don Miguel Ruiz wrote about this in his book ‘The Four Agreements’ but I’d like to touch on it today as it is something that has been on my mind lately.

You see, I believe there is a difference between speaking the truth and saying what needs to be said.

What Does Impeccability Really Mean?

To be impeccable with your word simply means to have the ability to filter your thoughts into productive or empathic speech.

It sounds simple but it can be most difficult for some who find themselves impulsively speaking the first thing that comes to mind or for those who think that to tell the truth in any situation is perfectly alright.

Yes, we should be able to speak our truths but sometimes it is not appropriate. Do you have the capacity to discern which is which?

For example:

You come across someone who is a little slow and less sharp than what is deemed average. Do you tell this person the truth that he/she is stupid? It is, after all, the truth (as seen by you).

Well I hope you answered no, because it is neither a productive thing to say nor is it necessary. This would be like marching up to someone who is mature in years and decrepid and telling them that they old and falling apart. It is an unnecessary truth.

Now of course there are people out their exercising their right to stupidity that are really going to grate your butt down to the bone but it is best to walk away or try to help them out rather than be unproductive and start hurling abuse.

Do not justify your blurb by saying, ‘well, it is the truth’. Be very careful when you justify your behavior without taking a long hard look at yourself. As that very famous phrase from the movie Forest Gump goes; ‘Stupid is as stupid does!’.

Question Time

When you are at that split-second junction where you are about to say something, stop yourself and quickly assess:

(a) is what I’m about to say going to be helpful (productive) to this person?

(b) if so, how can I phrase it with tact (empathy)?

To Use Euphemism or To Euthanize!

I often feel like ringing a person’s neck when they feel entitled to blurt out something mean and uncalled for to someone else, don’t you?

Especially when you can see the hurt in the other persons eyes. I do understand that we must all face our karma and learn to take these things on the chin (see my article called ’9 Truths About Letting Go of Opinions that Taint Us’) but it still pisses me off no end when someone is tactless.

Let the words that fall from your lips be that which your heart agrees upon. Venomous words will only result in being toxic to yourself and to others.

Other articles you may enjoy:

Live Like You Mean It — Live With Conviction!

Finding the Magnificence of Your Soul

The Secret to Living a Grand Life Revealed!

Is Assumption Killing Your Relationship?

Taking Things Personally Could Be Ruining Your Life

Are You Being Disillusioned by Reality?

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

“Reality is merely an illusion albeit a persistent one” — Albert Einstein

WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get)

So is the reality we live in, this world of solid matter and factual science, real or is it merely an illusion as many alternate faiths believe it to be?

What a question!

The answer is going to be evasive but this is how I see it: It’s both.

It feels pretty ‘real’ to us as we are taught to live by our senses — touching, tasting, smelling, hearing and seeing. After all, seeing is believing, right?

Not really.

Could it be that the ‘solid’ reality we navigate on a daily basis is only concrete because we give it the credence? In other words, our minds make it seem real. Why might we do this?

My guess would be to experiment with this extraordinary little thing called life. And why should this be so hard to believe anyway?

Bring out the Playstation/Wii

We have video games that do the same thing in a virtual reality. We can almost play out any desire we want to through these programs. They seem real enough when we are engaged in them, now, is it so hard to conceive that our physical lives could be a similar enactment?

Could this be because we are slowly grasping the concept of our world being a simulated matrix and this is our basis of comparison (through video games)?

I think soon enough, technology will give us neurological plugins so we can experience these games in a much more sensory way. In fact, they probably already exist and just haven’t hit the shelves yet (at least not the last time I was in a South African shop).

What Dreams May Come

Another question to pose is why dreams feel so real if we are physically not engaging our bodies? I can evoke all my senses when I am physically still and asleep through the visual, tactile and sometimes even tasty terrain of my dreamscapes.

This is because our minds are the engine, the driving force behind our ‘reality’. So even in our dreams things sometimes feel just as solid as if we were awake.

Are you even awake now, how do you know you aren’t still dreaming?

One can even achieve this by daydreaming or lucid dreaming. The body is not moving but the mind is telling us otherwise.

Is this not a blatant clue that our realities are only such as perceived or dictated to through our minds?

The Collective Consciousness

So why are we all experiencing the same illusion?

When we travel on the train, drive a car, go to work or walk in the park — we’re having a relatively similar experience and if this is just an illusion why aren’t we all engrossed in our own wonderlands?

Well, one theory is that we are choreographing a collective experience agreement on a soul experiential level. This isn’t such a hard pill to swallow if you are familiar with the idea that we are all connected — a part of the One.

The second consideration is that, strictly speaking, we are living in our own ‘worlds’. We do create experience around our own version of life. Therefore it could be said that we are engrossed in our own wonderland.

Bypass Suffering

With that in tow, why not work with the illusion? Be in this world but not of it. Live with passion and purpose and enjoy yourself knowing that this is not all there is. There is so much more than being birthed and dying — the adventure always continues.

This third dimensional reality could very possibly be merely an illusion and if you live it like it is the only truth, you will suffer.

There are realms beyond our current perceptions. Just because we can’t ‘see’ them doesn’t mean they don’t exist. They exist with or without your belief but if you chose to believe they become more real — more poignant. You create your experience every step of the way.

The 7 Billion Golden Truth Nugget

Whose truth? There is no one truth. You only have your truth. It may coincide with another’s but it is not the only version of fact as we all have a perspective to deal with, a filter of life experience that will differ from individual to individual. There are over 7 billion truths out there right now.

This is why it is important to step into your integrity, to live from your truth. When you do that you are in alignment. You don’t have to force your reality onto anyone else, let them figure it out according to their own soul script.

Your mind creates your playground of reality — don’t take it too seriously but take joy very seriously. Strive to be in love and bliss and whether this reality is illusion or all there is — you will have lived thoroughly.

On a lighter note: This article was written from my perspective, it is perfectly sound for you to make up your own mind about the world in which you live in. If you do happen to agree with what has been said here, it doesn’t really matter because all of this has been a mere illusion anyway!

I’ll wrap this up with the quote I used at the beginning of this blog:

To download the quotation for use as a desktop wallpaper, etc — click on the picture, right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer.

Other articles you may enjoy:

3 Bizarre and Unreasonable Motives to Stay on the Planet

What Always Helps Me Out When I’m Stuck in ‘The Void’

Healing Through Art — The Gates to Wonderland Just Got Flung Wide Open

Finding the Magnificence of Your Soul

The Secret to Living a Grand Life Revealed!

8 Life Strategies That Playing Chess Has Taught Me

Could You Do With a Cash Flow Boost?

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Money, Money, Money

Oh boy, ABBA got it right — it is a rich man’s world! Financial flow is a sticky and uncomfortable topic. We all want a constant stream of income to live well, whatever your version of ‘well’ is.

For me personally, I care not for Porches, Gucci handbags or Mansions — I want money to travel and enjoy the finer things in life (haute cuisine, theater and Belgian chocolate are more up my alley). But no matter what you want to do with your money, we all want that financial security at the end of the day because money brings choice — the spice of life!

Your Free Ticket to a Healthy Wealthy Attitude

So with that in mind, I knocked up this little visual money affirmation. It should help to shift your attitude or feeling towards money.

Pin it to your vision board, save it as a desktop wallpaper or print it out and stick it to your forehead — anything to hammer this affirmation home!

Let’s do this together and see if it works! Here it is (see below picture for download instructions):

To download, click on the picture — right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer. You can print it out and use it about your home or office as mini posters or you can use it as your computer desktop wallpaper.

If you couldn’t be bothered to print this out for yourself or you just want it on a specially made, easy-to-use product — fear not, I have the immediate solution for you.

I have made this item available as magnets ($4.45), stickers ($6.40 for a sheet of 20) and postcards ($0.95). Just click on the pictures below to take you to the store.

Magnets for $4.45

20 Stickers for $6.40

Postcard at $0.95

Other articles you may enjoy:

Can Using Yellow in Art Enhance Your Mood?

An Artful Splash of Colour For Your Facebook Timeline

The Magic Ingredient of Life

Dripping Art, Dragonflies and Mood Enhancing Facebook Timelines

2 Musical Quotations To Take Note Of

Zebra Fever — Jazzing Up Your Walls With Stripes!

‘Carpe Diem or Bust’ Hits Amazon Bookstore Today!

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

The day has arrived and I’m over the moon to announce that my second book, ‘Carpe Diem or Bust — A Spiritual Guide to the Good Life‘ is now available in paperback at Amazon.

Click on the picture to take you to Amazon

Here is the official description:

We each have the power to change our lives for the better.

This book will help you to develop your co-creative ability in a collection of easy to read, fun and simple single-serving-sized sections. Cherie Roe Dirksen exposes the many blocks, fears and worries that restrict us and shows us how we can create a life full of joy, abundance and adventure.

An excellent book for anyone looking for inspiration or a quick pick-me-up.

Ready, Set, Go!

I hope your appetite is whetted and that you are eager to hop, skip and jump through the 202 delectable pages that challenges you to seize the day or die trying! :)

Kindle on the Way

The Kindle version of the book will be available in about 2-3 weeks time but I will keep you posted here at the site or on my facebook page (click here to ‘like’). To receive updates please click the ‘follow this blog’ button to your left (in the sidebar) or you can subscribe to the site HERE.

Here is a quote from the book (see below quote for download instructions):

To download for use as a mini-poster print-out for around the home or office or desktop wallpaper, click on the image, right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer.

Getting Specific about the Direction Your Life is Taking

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Catching a Wake Up!

Today’s blog is going to be mind-blasting. I have had a revelation!

You would think that as a self-empowerment writer I would eat, breath and poop the Law of Attraction and understand it fully. Oh boy, so did I!

The Universal Curve-Ball

I fell off the bandwagon a few weeks ago but it was such a slow tumble that I hadn’t realized I was falling until a few days ago.

I have been verbally (telling my friends and husband in frustration) and mentally (reaffirming this over and over again in my head) repeating a mantra of late:

“I have no time, I’m so busy, I’ve no time for myself”

Oh, Cherie, for someone who knows that what you think about you bring about, those are foolish words!

I’ve even been telling people that I wish I could clone myself at least three times and give each replica jobs to do on top of trying to squeeze an eighth day into every week.

My new year’s resolution for 2013 was to meet new people, make new contacts and get myself ‘out there’ more physically (as opposed to having my nose stuck to my computer). The opportunities have been rolling in — from attending lectures and mingling with like-minded folks to being invited to go to the theater.

Getting My Act Together: Act 1 — Scene 1

So, to cut a long story short, I was walking on the beach thinking of my ‘problems’ when I was gifted with a moment of clarity.

The Universe: Didn’t you get what you wanted?

Cherie: Um…yes, I suppose but now I don’t have any time for myself.

The Universe: What do you mean?

Cherie: I’m very grateful for all the opportunities and recognition I’ve been getting recently but I wish you could space these gifts out a bit.

The Universe: How?

Cherie: Well, like give me say a weeks’ notice prior to each meeting/event so that I can properly organize instead of having everything one on top of the other and feel completely unprepared and have to shift my workload into my weekend.

The Universe: OK.

Yes, for those wondering, I do actually have these conversations in my head. Am I mad — probably. But mad is the new sane. Here’s why…

Instant Feedback that it Worked!

That very evening, my best friend writes to let me know that he is visiting South Africa and will be here in 7 days’ time.

I was so excited about this that it didn’t dawn on me that I had got that instant feedback that the Universe was listening. It however did smack me over the head a couple of hours later and I burst out laughing.

My hat! The Universe had not only acquiesced to my request but was rather darn specific about the details to boot!

I’m amazed at how this system actually works. I know it does but sometimes I get carried away in that old 3D tide of life and forget that I am in control all the way.

Improvising Your Menu

I hope you come away from this tale of timely terror with a renewed sense that:

When you are clear about what you want, the Universe conspires to make it happen.
The Universe constantly gives you things that it thinks you’re asking for.
If it’s not congruent with what you do actually want, you need to get more specific. Hone your desires. Be clear about what you do want.
You need to keep assessing what you’re being given so that you shape what it is you specifically want. Only you can do this, don’t leave it to fate.
You can ask for anything.

Money, Money, Money — It’s a Rich Man’s World

The next thing that dawned on me is that I have been working my butt off and, admittedly, been getting opportunities to network, grow and expand in my field but I have not been asking for financial compensation.

In fact, I am just making my bills every month by the skin of my teeth.

I’m grateful that I can pay my rent and put food on the table but I want more. I want certain luxuries (like all of us do), I want to travel and I want to save.

I have also had my eye on a darling pair of red velvet shoes…lol.

All jokes aside, I can’t believe I’ve been so stupid as to not pick up on the fact that I’m not being clear about how much I want to earn for all my efforts.

Sometimes we get so carried away with all the gumpf in our lives that we forget to spell out the obvious.

So, even though I have not hit the jackpot yet — my request is still in the pipeline — I just know I’m going to get a huge windfall soon.

Happy manifesting!

Please share your stories here. How are you doing in the manifestation department? Are you seeing the fruits of your visualizations or are you still having trouble manifesting your desires?

Other articles you may enjoy:

Taking Responsibility For Your Co-Creative Abilities

What You Need to Know About Desperation and Manifestation

7 Helpful Pointers To Activate The Flow Of Abundance

Your Emotional Body – What Frequencies or Vibrations are You Emitting?

What is Abundance and How Do I Get It?

4 Simple Tips on How to Stay Calm at Family Reunions

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Close Encounters of the Relative Kind

Being within close proximity to certain family members over vast amounts of time can lead to disputes and invariably, altercations — and, yes, I am putting it mildly! We have all probably experienced our fair share of family squabbling at Christmas time or any holiday/‘get-together’.

Remaining calm and peaceful with your family or at family reunions is no small feat. It requires a lot of internal reflection and non-reaction.

Help is at Hand

Here are some key points to staying focused and grounded whilst you are in the throes of a chaotic encounter:

Non-Reaction — ask yourself if you need to contribute to a potential argument? Mostly, unless you have something incredibly significant to say, you will only be adding fuel to the fire in these situations. See if you can be the still presence.

Remain Grounded — this is another way of saying ‘be the still presence’. When you are quiet and calm and non-reactive, you move into the space of still presence where you can become the observer. Being in the world and not of it, so to speak. I can assure you it is a much more rewarding approach to being in a room full of tumultuous energy than contributing your two pence which is probably not going to be ‘heard’ anyway.

Use Discernment — do you have an opportunity to help someone or are you contributing to hear your own voice? If you can help, then by all means do. If you are being swept away in a tide of chaotic energy and shouting, you have the choice to remove yourself from the room — use your discernment and protect yourself against being sucked into drama. You will lose your own vital energy this way and come out feeling drained and depressed.

Send Love — we all love our family and friends, but if you find yourself in a situation where you truly cannot contribute anything but loving them unconditionally then do just that. Send them love. Remain calm and balanced and focus on the love you have for them. Build on that and project it towards them. Remove yourself from the room if needs be and then do it in privacy — even if it means locking yourself in the bathroom for a few minutes to gather/center yourself. I guarantee you will have helped them more by doing this then by rising to the bait of drama and argumentative behaviour.

Go on, try it out next time you are faced with a disruptive situation. Try to be the present awareness and witness how your perspective changes. You will be able to be in the world but not of it. You will feel an opening within you that will allow you to remain calm in any situation. You will, in time, be able to build upon that feeling and draw on it more and more.

You Always Have a Choice

The choice is always yours to engage or to detach. What will your choice be at your next family soiree?

Just remember that if you don’t succeed this time, don’t throw the whole concept out the window — try, try again.

Other articles you may enjoy:

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall…Who’s in the Most Denial of Us All?

3 Simple Steps to Release You From Depression

Letting Go For Your Own Good — Detaching out of Love

3 Questions You Need to Ask Yourself When Dealing With Aggravation

4 Easy Steps to a More Relaxed You

3 Ways to Cure the Pushover Mentality

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Are You a Pushover?

I am…or at least, I was. Not anymore though.

“And it comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much. We’re always thinking about new markets we could enter, but it’s only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important.”

— Steve Jobs

The last couple of weeks have seen the Universe trying to get me to open my eyes to this straggling piece of personality debris that I need to close the door on — it’s been throwing some rather extraordinary curve-balls my way.

I have had all sorts of people vying for my attention, skills and time — some art clients, some friends and others, total strangers.

Could You Bend Over Just a Little Bit More?

I’ve always been a people-pleaser — yes, you know the type. The ones who bend over backwards to help others sometimes sacrificing their own time and needs in the process.

I always thought this was a good trait but how wrong I was!

Doormats and Inhibitors

To be kind is a good trait. To help others out when you can is a good trait. To be used as a doormat is not a good trait. To help others when they can, themselves, do the job is inhibiting their personal growth and development.

Did you ever stop to think about that?

“To teach someone how to do something, once off, is empowering them to do it for themselves in the future. Doing it for them is stripping them of their power and making them reliant on you.”

I am the kind of person who thinks that if a job is worth doing it’s worth doing well. I’m also the kind of person who will do the entire job myself because it’s quicker than teaching someone else how to do it.

Big mistake!

Are You Helping or Hindering?

You are not helping anyone out by doing it all yourself. It’s like that old fishing metaphor — teach a person how to fish rather than fishing for them.

To teach someone how to do something, once off, is empowering them to do it for themselves in the future. Doing it for them is stripping them of their power and making them reliant on you.

Starting to get the picture? So am I.

Demands and Etiquette

What really gets to me is the lack of politeness when some people ask for a favor. Have you ever had someone not use that simple word ‘please’? Or even better, you do the job and you don’t even get a ‘thanks’.

Here’s a rather ludicrous example of one of my tests this week:

A young man approached me on facebook to have a look at a quote he had made up himself. He wanted to know if it was any good.

I read it over. It was a typo/grammatical moosh-mash and didn’t make much sense at all. I assumed that English was not his mother tongue. The phrase was also way too long for the short sentence he was really trying to put across.

So — the fool that I was — corrected the grammar and spelling mistakes and rephrased the entire thing for him. When I wrote back to him he said, ‘Oh, I guess I should pay more attention to what I am doing. I was watching the telly when I wrote that.’ Not a ‘thank you’ in sight or a ‘sorry for wasting your time’.

Who’s to Blame? I Think You Might Have Guessed This One

I was so angry! I had spent good time on this thinking I was helping out someone who desperately wanted to be heard. The joke was on me.

Then it dawned on me — it wasn’t even his fault for wasting my time, it was mine.

I let him waste my time. I should have just told him to use his spell check but no, I had to go and rework the whole thing.

Life’s Lessons Learned

“Now, I give you fair warning, either you or your head must be off, and that in about half no time! Take your choice!” — The Queen (Alice in Wonderland)

So, the new me is rethinking my attitude towards being a sucker — thank you Universe!. I know that there are going to be loads of pushovers out there reading this, so my advice to you is:

Discernment — can you ascertain if the person asking for your help is in genuine need of it or are they being lazy?
Teaching — if this person really needs your help, are you going to do everything for them or are you going to teach them the ropes? It’s so vitally important that people learn how to do things themselves, being independent is a marvelous trait and gift.
Wastrels — the last on this list is a warning. There are people out there who, either inadvertently or purposefully, will waste your time. Be a bloodhound and learn to sniff these people out quickly. You need to banter with this kind of person initially to find out where they stand. You can just ask a series of short sharp questions to discern how wafty they are or not. If you are feeling that there answers are not direct or resolute, leave them alone. They are time wasters. If they can’t figure out what they want, how are you going to? You aren’t, you are just going to get stuck in their net of indecision and end up with a headache and anger issues.

Grow a Pair!

You don’t have to be cruel or unkind when you stand up for yourself, your time and priorities — this is your life and you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to or have the time for.

I guarantee that they will get over your refusal. More importantly, the ones who cannot get over your decision are the ones you don’t need in your life anyway — think on that.

True friends and family members will understand and respect your space and choices.

“I don’t take crap from anyone, so that makes people think I’m rebellious. I’m not. I’m just not a pushover.” — Kat Dennings

I hope you come away from this blog with a more resolute stance. It is heavenly to practice kindness but it is damaging to let someone else take advantage of your goodness. Your job is to identify when the line has been crossed.

I have reworked this well-known adage to fit in with the theme of this blog (I think it works rather well)…”Use me once — shame on you. Use me twice — shame on me!”

Good luck.

Let me know of examples where you have stood your ground, you may be able to help someone else out in the process.

Other articles you may enjoy:

7 Things I Wish I Knew when I Was a Teenager

What Always Helps Me Out When I’m Stuck in ‘The Void’

8 Life Strategies That Playing Chess Has Taught Me

Live Like You Mean It — Live With Conviction!

5 Easy Steps to Get Your Life Back on Track

12 Things Successful People Do To Excel

The Naked Truth about You and Your Body Image

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Let’s Get Physical

“You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.”
― Amy Bloom

As I was walking along the beach one morning, taking in the warm comforting sunshine of another lustrous day in Cape Town, I had my eyes severely pried open.

I had already walked the length of the beach and back and as I was approaching the designated ‘swimming’ section of the beach (shark nets just fitted and all!), I heard the glorious tones of laughter, splashing, shrieking and general guffawing.

Carpe Diem!

When I looked over at the watery shallows I saw the melodious sounds were coming from a group of well-endowed, young African ladies. Some of them had shorts and t-shirts on, some were fully clad in dresses — it didn’t matter — the only thing that seemed to matter was having a copious amount of fun.

They were seizing the day and living in the moment — squeezing the joy out of the sparkling waves as they crashed down on them.

They didn’t care that their clothes were completely see-through or that they weren’t sporting the latest Speedo bikini.

Upside Down Pear-Shapes and Wake Up Calls

I was swiftly jolted back into my own headspace. I had walked most of this beautiful beach preoccupied by how I was going to look when, at the end of my walk, I took my swim.

Let me explain:

I bought this really expensive swimsuit but it was too big at the bottom end (making my bum look big) and very snug at the top end (causing a serious melon-spillage). I’ve kind of got this reverse pear-shape thing going on where what fits the top is too big for the bottom and what fits the bottom is too small for the top. Aaargh!

This was making me feel very self-conscious.

So, I’d been fussing about this in my thoughts until the point when the playful posse had interrupted my rather irksome inner dialogue.

Western Culture Sucks

Here were these beautiful bountiful lasses all flaunting their fabulousness and there I was fretting about a stupid little thing like a baggy-bottomed bather (which probably wasn’t that bad to begin with — the mind can create havoc, you know!).

Besides the fact that I am a typical Virgo, always fussing with the smallest of things and wanting everything in its right place — the ‘western’ culture is just so damned critical.

We always have some magazine, TV show or fashion trend telling us what perfect looks like and how we should be.

What a bunch of bullshit. I mean really?

Cottage Cheese and Crackers

Actually, I know a few people who — either due to the delusion that their thighs resemble cottage cheese or they wouldn’t be seen dead in a bather (really? Not even if you were dead?) — wouldn’t even attempt a swim because of the fear of being seen!

It’s completely crackers!

I wish these people would regress themselves to their childhood and ask their tiny counterparts what they would think of themselves if they knew that, in time to come, they wouldn’t enjoy a swim because of how they perceived themselves?

The sad thing is that I have even heard 4 year old girls now walking around asking if their ‘bum looks big in this?‘.

Being Unique is the Best Trend Ever!

After this episode of learning, I whipped off my clothes and sauntered into the ocean — releasing the inner child and just having a thoroughly, bloody good time.

It felt so freeing.

I can’t say that I didn’t adjust my costume a few times — old habits die hard — but I did feel a sense of relief and balls to what people think.

The Naked Truth

I hope you come away from this blog with a sense of how ridiculous it is to:

Not have fun or be spontaneous because of what other people think — When you do this, you are letting other people dictate your experience. Now how foolish does that sound now that you’re reading it in black and white?
Worry about how you might appear to others, period — If you’re OK with who you are, it doesn’t matter what other people think. You’ve got to get over it. You’re never going to have universal appeal anyway. The people whose opinions count, will be the ones who love your uniqueness.

If you’re having the time of your life, go on and enjoy it! Don’t give a hoot about the skew looks you might procure if you truly let go — the ones who may pass judgment are the ones who cannot release their inner child or inner joy.

Who knows, your bravado might entice their daring to come out and play.

Love the Skin You’re In

“I’ve gone through stages where I hate my body so much that I won’t even wear shorts and a bra in my house because if I pass a mirror, that’s the end of my day.”
― Fiona Apple

How many of us can relate to Fiona Apple?

Call to action time. I want you, next time you face yourself in the mirror, to truly look into your own eyes. Tell yourself that you are a beautiful and unique creature — a human expression of the soul you truly are.

Let your eyes run over every nuance of your being, even the parts you may not like. When you do this, praise yourself for the bits and bobs you love about yourself — put your full attention on those parts and really give yourself genuine admiration. Be kind and complementative — just as if you were uplifting a friend who was having body image problems.

This is not an act of narcissism — this is a way to get you to accept and love the skin you’re in.

Most of all, be grateful for the body you have. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that even if you do have lumps and bumps in certain places, you probably still have a lot to be thankful for.

“Let me ask you something, in all the years that you have…undressed in front of a gentleman has he ever asked you to leave?

Has he ever walked out and left? No? It’s because he doesn’t care!

He’s in a room with a naked girl, he just won the lottery. I am so tired of saying no, waking up in the morning and recalling every single thing I ate the day before, counting every calorie I consumed so I know just how much self loathing to take into the shower. I’m going for it.

I have no interest in being obese, I’m just through with the guilt. So this is what I’m going to do, I’m going to finish this pizza, and then we are going to go watch the soccer game, and tomorrow we are going to go on a little date and buy ourselves some bigger jeans.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert

Do you have a tip to share? How do you embrace your body, ‘faults’ and all? I’d love to hear from you.

Other articles you may enjoy:

7 Things I Wish I Knew when I Was a Teenager

5 Simple Food Habits That Will Rapidly Improve Your Well-Being

9 Truths About Letting Go of Opinions that Taint Us

Don’t Let the World Get You Down!

How Stubbing Your Toe is Good News!

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

What You Give Out You Get Back

You’d better believe it!

What you vibrate you attract — it’s like stubbing your toe in the morning…cursing, then knocking your knee on the staircase…yelling. All this starts to send out a particular vibration until it’s snowballing into a thoroughly, bloody rubbish day!

Instead, stub your toe and thank God for having a toe that you could stub in the first place…lol. Well, it’s certianly worth a try.

There’s Always a Twist in the Tale!

I am going to call this Twistamatosis — the art of taking a dire situation and turning it around by doing the unexpected or exact opposite of what is expected in a positive and unusual manner. It’s all about finding…

The treasure hidden in your garbage can
The diamond glittering through your lump of coal
The champagne Uncle George gave you for Christmas still neatly corked in an otherwise empty fridge barring the expired sauce bottles
A clean pair of underpants in the dryer when you thought you were all out and it’s date night
Waking up early for work only to realize it’s a holiday!

You know I could go on but I won’t. I’ll leave that up to you. What analogies can you come up with for Twistamatosis? Flex your funny bone.

‘The Sound of Art’ Video Series Debut — Interviews, Live Music and a Special Guest from Paris (7 mins)

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Mission Impossible

Or should I say, mission I’m possible (as the daughter of my friend just discovered!). I see you reading the title and asking yourself, ‘all this in under 7 minutes?’.

You’d better believe it!

After much blood, sweat and tears over the past 2 weeks — the final cut is ready! And all in the same week as my second book get’s sent off to the publishers — just call me the Duracell bunny. Did I mention I’m also working on a 5 panel commissioned painting?

Another Coffee, Please!

Maria Von Trapp, Succulent Musical Performances and Some Dubious Animation

This is episode 1 and I’m being interviewed about the first painting, ‘Escapism’ in my Rock Art Series (painted to Radiohead). I have made a special menu button for the Rock Art blogs that can be seen under my banner for quick reference or if you just want to catch-up on the series again.

Without further ado…here is the video (please remember to adjust the quality on Youtube otherwise it can automatically pick the fastest and lowest quality setting).

Don’t Be Shy to Voice Your Opinion (as Long as it’s Dripping with Honey!)

Your comments are more than welcome, either here or on Youtube.

I would also like to ask that, if you like the video (of course), can you please share it with your friends, Twitter buddies or Facebook pals. I could sure use your help to get this series out into the big wide world.

Actually, you can even share it if you think is sucks. I don’t mind. Any publicity is good publicity, right? I’m probably going to regret saying that some day.

A Big Thank You to My Contributors

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to thank all you special people out there in cyberspace for your support and for those generous souls who agree to keep me afloat by buying me copious amounts of ‘coffee/tea’ through the site — your donations keep me going in ways you can’t imagine, so a big Thank You.

Painting Pink Floyd — Soldiering Through the Minefield of Emotion

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Avoidance and Pain

“Sometimes our garbage makes the best fertilizer.”

I just want to express from the get go that this has been one of the most difficult paintings for me to bring into manifestation. I started off this journey with hopeful optimism which soon turned into pain, anguish and avoidance. I literally avoided my painting for weeks before returning to finish it.

I even manifested back pain (like there was something I needed to ‘get off my back’) which was a real poke in the ribs to complete this.

Let’s begin…

Firstly, the emotions that I wrote down (on the side of the boxed canvas) during the painting process were as follows:

Discord, revolt, rebel
Suppressed emotion
Metal, cold, steel, cutting, taking lives
Centers around the Void
Paternal painbody
Lost
Relief to be voicing/heard
Yin & Yang balance

Our Hopes and Expectations

It began with me spray painting the black hole in the center which represented a void. Emotions getting sucked into a black hole.

Then I painted little white orbs emerging which I think was indicative that there is and always was hope and a presence that was watching over us (or perhaps it was the light in us) through the whole distortion of life, morality and ethics of the war.

The War Effect

My maternal grandfather, Roy Chegwyn

The male painbody came out big time after that and I was aware that I was entering the murky dark waters of the emotional minefield of all our soul brothers (and sisters) who were forced to go to war.

They were both involved in WW2. My maternal Grandfather was a RAF pilot and was shot and killed in German territory — he was in his early 20′s. His body was never recovered and I don’t think his wife ever recovered either. This obviously impacted my mother and her sisters greatly.

My paternal grandfather, Harry Roe

My paternal grandfather was stationed in Egypt and, thankfully, made it back home in 1945 although he never spoke of his traumas. I never got to meet him as he died before I was born.

I think a lot of men shut down and never spoke of their ordeal when they got home. Can you imagine the pain and suffering this has caused? The ripple effect is felt in Pink Floyd’s music.

Bullets with Butterfly Wings

After the void showed up in the painting, I went ballistic with silver foil. After I had finished pasting this onto the picture I picked up my red spray can and viciously started gunning the canvas with bullet holes. I felt like I was being sucked into the overwhelming emotions of limitless killings — voluntary and involuntary.

It was a very dark place.

The muddy paint (which was done using a kind of clay/sand textured acrylic) represented being in the trenches. I even stuck ‘notes’ on the painting reciting the Ho’oponopono (a Hawaiin prayer for forgiveness and an amazing releasing affirmation for letting go of the past so you can move into the present). I even spontaneously wrote out one of these notes on toilet paper.

The Ho’oponopono goes something like this:

I am sorry, please forgive me, I love you, thank you.

I stepped back from the painting and even though it wasn’t physically there, I saw a massive yin and yang sign in that void. It was energetically present. This confused me. I thought this painting was going to be about the male painbody.

It was, however, morphing into something else…

The Pinnacle Rent of the Sexes

I began to go into another state, I could feel the feminine energies coming in through me. I picked up a pink oil pastel and started smudging it over the bullet wounds and blood. It was as if I was tempering the pain. The colour pink represents passivity, calming and softening.

It then struck me.

This is not only about the male painbody but it also involves the female painbody. The war was like the symbolic peak of the separation of divine masculine and feminine.

Men come back from war shut tight as a clam and the females make them a cup of tea and offer a biscuit.

Containers and Comforters United

Masculine energy is like a container. This energy offers physical support, service, protection, strength and a ‘safe’ place. Feminine energy is that feeling of home. This energy is giving, nurturing, caring and spiritually supportive.

Can you see how this was split apart during the war?

Men came back having had their minds, limbs, spirit and morals blown apart. It was not appropriate in that time for men to show weakness or, God forbid, emotion. So they contained themselves.

“Button your lip and don’t let the shield slip. Take a fresh grip on your bullet proof mask and if they try, to break down your disguise with their questions. You can hide, hide, hide behind paranoid eyes”

~ Paranoid Eyes, Pink Floyd

Women were in complete avoidance. They probably didn’t know how to handle the enormous magnitude of the war effects and the atrocities their men had witnessed and been a part of, so they swept in under the carpet. Women became the Stepford Wives, fudging the emotions and avoiding the topic at all costs.

Neither sexes were in their integrity. They were doing a dance in the void — the ultimate tango of avoidance.

“Hey you, out there on your own sitting naked by the phone would you touch me? Hey you, with your ear against the wall waiting for someone to call out would you touch me? Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone? Open your heart, I’m coming home.”

~ Hey You!, Pink Floyd

I felt a distinct animosity for women in Pink Floyd’s music. The feelings were that of women being superficial takers, opportunists and cold fish.

In the Classroom

There was also a part at the bottom of the painting that seemed to portray the education system. How we are moulded into little nuts and bolts to keep the cogs turning.

I was even compelled at one stage to leave my studio (almost in a trance like state) and go down the staircase. I thought I was going to get some newspaper but it turned out that I was collecting a sketch I had done about 2 years ago to demonstrate Platonic Solids to a friend.

The book I had drawn it in was lying on my dining room table. I opened it straight at this picture (the book is also the kind of hardcover we used at school with the red margins and blue lines) and ripped it out, marched back upstairs and pasted it to this section of the painting.

I also noticed that I had written one of my articles at the back of this piece of paper and it had relevant wording that I also ripped out and glued to the canvas. I even automatically made a tiny paper aeroplane and stuck it to the picture.

Could this be indicative of childhood fancies — making planes at school, fantasizing about being a pilot? Then stepping out into the real world and being disillusioned by being a traumatized ‘fighter-pilot’ slipping into the void.

Then the Seeds Started to Grow

pf cup 4 The theme of this painting is very sad indeed. The tearing apart of the sexes, the war wounds, the fudging over of emotional debris by our parents and their parents but there is a distinct message of hope.

I stood back and looked at the painting. It needed green.

I couldn’t quite think of where and what to add that was green but the Universe knew. I ended up painting vines and leaves growing up out of the chaos. A symbol of hope and growth from bad experience.

Don’t Let Your Privates Deceive You

It was like all this war, disruption and chaos was leading us to heal the rift in ourselves. As you know, we are both yin and yang, masculine and feminine — no matter what your genitals tell you.

We are coming to a point in time where we are realizing this and balancing our energies. Embracing both in order to lead lives of fulfillment and acceptance of ourselves and each other — unity consciousness.

“We would meet again, some sunny day”~ Vera, Pink Floyd

Sometimes our garbage makes the best fertilizer.

Thank you, Pink Floyd, for the opportunity to unravel this important historical and emotional piece of art.

The Can of Worms is Closed!

This painting showed me the rift in the feminine and masculine energies — the breakdown of balance between yin and yang.

Then it moved to rectify the tear by bringing back the balance of both polarities. This artwork showed me that there is hope for us, that we can mend our broken hearts and bring divine balance back into the world through love, compassion and forgiveness.

“All alone or in two’s, the ones who really love you walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand and some gathered together in bands, the bleeding hearts and the artists make their stand.“

~ The Other Side of the Wall, Pink Floyd

‘Dancing in the Void’ Rock Art Painting no. 4 (Pink Floyd)
by Cherie Roe Dirksen
30″ x 30″ x 1.5″ — Acrylic and Mixed Media on Boxed Canvas

You can recap on ALL the articles in the Rock Art Series here:

10 Bands, 10 Paintings…Let the Rock Art Begin!

The Grand Band Reveal is Today!

Radiohead — A Teaser Pictorial ‘Rock Art’ Peek

What Radiohead Looks Like Through The End of My Brush

Song Playlist — Radiohead Albums That Made The Art

Rock Art Series — The Beatles

What The Beatles Look Like From the End of my Paintbrush

Rock Art Series Painting no. 3 — Jeff Buckley ‘Raw’

How I Got ‘Raw’ With Jeff Buckley

‘Dancing in the Void’ — Pink Floyd Rock Art Painting No.4 Photographs

Other articles you may find interesting:

The Secret to Excellent Living

The Fine Balancing Art of Yin and Yang

The Shocking Truth About Gender Equality

7 Things I Wish I Knew when I Was a Teenager

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.~Douglas Adams

Don’t you sometimes wish you could hijack the DeLorean from the ‘Back to the Future’ movie and go back in time to give the younger you some swift and sharp lessons in life?

Well, you’re here now — older and wiser with experience under your belt — and the pipeline dream of procuring time machines probably just isn’t going to happen. The brighter side of it is that we can at least enlighten future generations of the deeper meanings behind some really profound truths.

Here’s a list of things I wish I knew when I was a little know-it-all:

1. Thoughts Create Things

Ah, if only I knew about the Law of Attraction at 16 years of age — all the mischief I could have brought about. Well, maybe it was for the best. Seriously though, how cool would it have been to know, back then, that your thoughts are prerequisite to actually manifesting whatever you want in your life!?!

2. You Can Do or Be Anything

Yup, some of you may have had hippie parents telling you this but for some of us it just wasn’t the case. You needed good grades and to get a job that pays well — you know, the 9-5 job and the white picket fence deal?

My parents, God bless them, probably were only handing down precious information that they had learned from their parents, ‘get a steady job that pays the bills, there is no money to be made in mucking about with paint or playing the guitar’. Oh, how wrong they were! The sky is the limit with your dreams — go for it, guns blazing into the setting sun shouting ‘Yeehaw!’.

3. You Always have a Choice

Life is all about choices, we make them to get in and out of trouble. You never set yourself up with anything you can’t get yourself out of — within reason, of course. So a message for mini-me would have been: Try to view things from a different perspective, there is always a solution to a problem if you are quite enough to hear the inner wisdom that is always inherent. Life doesn’t just randomly happen to you if you take responsibility for your choices.

4. To Forgive is Divine

If only I had known back then that to hold a grudge means extra baggage for you. This can even, in some cases, manifest as physical weight.

5. Taking Things Personally is Disempowering

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and tastes but there is no ‘blanket’ rule over what is the truth as there are over 7 billion different perspectives on earth right now.

I was told, in the younger years, not to ‘listen’ to people if they caused me any distress but I didn’t truly get that when I am insulted I am actually agreeing with what has been flung on my doorstep. If only I learned to dodge those landmines sooner, I would have a lot less BS to scrape off my boots later on down the line!

6. Conforming is Boring

I wish I could seriously implant this into the brains of the youth of today, it’s just that important! Don’t try to be who you are not. Everyone wants an original not a copy. Duh! Thinking out of the box is not even an option — burn the box! No boxes anymore, boxes are for things not ideas or people.

7. Being Weird is just so Damn Cool

Well, this one just flows so nicely from being a non-conformist. It’s just completely stimulating being different. I mean, come on, look at all those Barbie’s and Ken’s out there — yeah, it’s a nice bit of eye-candy, but really? For real?

Nah, I prefer someone with a bit more kick, vooma and soul — even if the facial features are slightly askew, hell, isn’t that what makes people intriguing? Give me David Bowie over Ashton Kutcher any day (nothing personal, Ashton, I’m just a girl with out-of-the-ordinary taste).

So, little Cherie from the past, this is what I would have loved to have been able to time travel to tell you about.

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.”

― Mother Teresa

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Purpose Fairy

Other articles you may enjoy:

12 Things Successful People Do To Excel

3 Bizarre and Unreasonable Motives to Stay on the Planet

Do You Lack Self-Worth When it Comes to Creativity?

5 Easy Steps to Get Your Life Back on Track

How Stubbing Your Toe is Good News!

What Always Helps Me Out When I’m Stuck in ‘The Void’

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

‘The Forest Time Forgot’ by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Lost in a Forest of Doubt

“Trees are amazing life forms as they are grounded and rooted to the earth yet their branches are always caressing the sky — the ultimate metaphor for balance (as above so below, as within so without).”

At the beginning of last week, I found myself in a bit of a funk.

Not only did I have a bout of the despair demons but I also found myself lost in doubt — I just couldn’t see the forest for the trees.

What am I doing?
Why am I doing it?
Is any of this actually helping me or anyone else?
How am I going to make my rent this month?

Yup, the usual stuff that throws you a curve ball when you least expect it.

That night, I went to bed feeling rather low. I woke up the next morning feeling the same. I sat on my sofa staring at the wall, unwillingly thinking I should just pack it all in and go get a ‘proper’ job. Oh, woe is me!

How can I carry on offering ‘self help’ and creative advice when I am in a quagmire? My mind was tripping out on this dichotomous conundrum.

Of course, this just made me feel worse and less worthy to carry on with the site.

Who’s Only a 100% Organic Human Then?

Life isn’t all about the ups (although they’re great), it’s how to hoist yourself up by the bootstraps when you stumble into a deep hole too.

We’re all human at the end of the day (note to self and any others out there who think they need the ‘stiff upper lip’ approach all the time!).

Swallowing My Own Pills

Looking back on some of my articles, I decided to take my own advice and go be in nature. After all, I had to prove to myself that I wasn’t talking out of my own ass with the advice I dish out.

So off I went to take a walk on the beach.

Sea Breeze and Water Underfoot

“Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.” — William Wordsworth

Holy Carumba! Within 30 minutes I had not only got some decent walking in and some good time to think but I had also done breathing exercises and a bit of gratitude meditation too — I was feeling a lot better.

After all of this, I sat on the sand looking out at the ocean and the beautiful blue sky. What a paradise! I started to chuckle to myself. This was definitely working.

I could feel that depression had completely left me and I was sitting in appreciation.

Get Your Kit Out!

I rushed back to my studio to begin work on some paintings that I saw in a vision whilst I was meditating.

This picture at the top of this blog, which I have called ‘The Forest Time Forgot’ (and, yes, I am shamelessly promoting it here in order to sustain my livelihood — click on the picture to take you to the poster shop, if you fancy this adorning your wall) started out as a form of colour therapy for me while I was mindlessly doodling the background into existence.

I stuck to Pthalo blues and Emerald greens which are very holistically calming and balancing colours.

I was listening to classical music whilst painting this which I think comes through in the sweeping motion of the cosmic sky.

I beg you to listen to ‘The Aquarium’ by Saint-Saens (below) to truly get the gist of this picture (I have compiled an audio-visual video so you can listen and view the picture at the same time).

This song cropped up on my playlist when I was busy at work and it just fitted so much with the overall feel of this piece.

Branch Codes and Cosmic Undertones

With all that in mind, ‘The Forest Time Forgot’ has a feel of whimsical calmness and universal wonder to it. The trees seem to have taken on a life of their own with ‘facial expressions’ that were not intentional.

Trees are amazing life forms as they are grounded and rooted to the earth yet their branches are always caressing the sky — the ultimate metaphor for balance (as above so below, as within so without).

What do you get/feel/see when you look at this picture?

I was feeling really ‘child-like’ when I painted it. Very adventurous, playful and serene. Does that come across?

Naturally Tried and Tested

So, seriously now, when you find yourself in a funk/void/chasm of doom — get yourself out into nature. I did such a quick turnaround when I decided to take some time out at the seaside — the transformation was just so quick!

The creative surges came through thick, fast and furious. So much so that I managed to pop out 3 paintings this week in 2 days. All the pictures in this blog are the after effects of the beach outing.

Proof that a bit of Gaia therapy works.

Try a bit of the great outdoors next time you feel the demons of despair pounding away at your door.

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” — John Muir

To download as your facebook timeline, click on picture then right-click and ‘save image as’ to your computer. You can upload it onto your facebook timeline from your computer.

Other articles you may enjoy:

3 Bizarre and Unreasonable Motives to Stay on the Planet

What is Free and Priceless in the World Today?

4 Practices to Help Cure Negative Thinking

7 Ways to Lift You from Depression

9 Great Reasons for Getting Creative (No Artistic Experience Needed)

Are You Letting the Wonders of the World Pass You By?

Do You Lack Self-Worth When it Comes to Creativity?

6 Techniques to Stop Worrying

What Nature Can Teach Us About Art

Do You Make This 1 Detrimental Mistake?

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Adrift in a Sea of Bad News?

“I just don’t deal with the negativity. I can’t get involved in that side of it. I don’t understand it, and you can’t let it take away from your life and what you are trying to do.” — Rick Pitino

I read an article that stated ‘negativity sells’. How sad. Yes it does, we are all aware of that but we don’t necessarily like it.

Don’t you sometimes feel alone or like you are farting against thunder, trying to keep your spirits high or encouraging the positivity in others only to have the media and various other sources spit negativity out at you at an alarming rate?

I sure do.

Buried Under the Rubble

The influx of devastating news from the media to the sick pictures being posted recently on Facebook showcasing animal cruelty and the likes are but a few of what we’ve been bombarded with lately.

If you don’t have these social networking sites then lucky you! You’ve just saved yourself some deep trauma.

Yes, negativity does seem to sell but we can change that by focusing our attention on solving the problems not feeding them.

The one mistake most people make is perpetuating the negativity by spreading it, thinking that they are doing good but what they are really doing is helping the offenders to spread their base filth even faster.

I know the kind of people who share this type of bad news/pictures are only trying to spread awareness, their hearts are in the right place but there are other ways of helping out that I will address below.

But before I go into that, I want to bring up another hot issue.

Teenage Dreams Turning into Teenage Nightmares

Sharing these gruesome pictures on Facebook is perpetuating the problem by offering these perpetrators notoriety for their acts (which is one of the reasons why I believe they do it).

The growing need that a select few teenagers have to become ‘famous’ is resulting in them trying anything for their 15 minutes of glory — seemingly, no matter how heinous that publicity might be.

So, what should be done about it?

What can be done is:

report it directly to the police (put up the photo on a bulletin board at the police station rather than on innocent bystanders cyber walls),
report it to your local activist group (pertaining to the content),
send the perpetrators love (yes, it is difficult but you will not solve anything with your hatred — look at the last few thousand years of earth history to see where that gets you. Try something different),
send the victims love,
if you can, donate your time or money to a cause near you (if it is a crime against animals — donate to your local shelter, if it is a crime against women/children — donate to your local care center)

These are practical ways to make a stand.

I agree that awareness will change problems but we must be discerning in how that awareness is carried out.

Are You Helping or Hindering?

“Negativity doesn’t help me.”
— David Ortiz

If you can answer yes to these questions, you may be doing more harm than good. Are you:

working yourself up into a frenzy or state of anger over the issue?
causing anyone distress with what you are doing?
telling yourself that it is necessary for people to see violent images to get them to stand up and take notice?

Rather ask yourself what you could do in a calm, dignified manner to help the situation.

Let’s take a quick look at the possible causes behind these actions.

Where the Trail Leads

TV reality shows pump out mindless garbage like ‘The Kardashians’ and ‘Jerseylicious’ (to name but a few) and the youth lap it up thinking that this is the key to success. That through debaucherous actions they will get the attention they crave.

Get your own reality show.
Do something outrageous and get noticed.

It’s up to us to help educate and steer these youngsters in the right direction. Coming up against it in sheer fury will fuel the fire causing an inferno, we need to address the misinformation they are being fed.

Okay, I’ve veered off the topic a tad here. This was meant to be shining a light on how to keep your head held high when you are being suffocated by lower vibration twaddle.

Anchors Aweigh!

What can you do to keep your head above water?

Navigation.

All hands on deck, Captain! Navigate your way out of it.

How? By doing what you can in a positive and uplifting manner. If there is nothing you can do, pray and send love and compassion.

We’ve just celebrated St. Valentines Day last week, a day for expressing love. Let’s not stop the day after — let’s keep that love-ball rolling and spread it far and wide.

Keep love alive and you will be able to more easily slip out of the stream of negativity when it arises.

Here are some articles to help you to stay positive:

How to Get and Maintain that Positive Attitude
7 Proven Tactics to Spread Joy Around the World
A Practical Guide to Feeling Good

If you feel this has resonated with you and have someone in mind whilst you were reading, please do feel free to share.

This world will change but the seeds need to be sown first — be that seed planter!

On that note, here is a free computer wallpaper quote to encourage those positive vibes:

To download, click on picture — right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer. Use as desktop wallpaper or mini printable posters for around your home or office. You may share this on social networks as long as it is not altered in any way, thank you.

The above picture is taken from my painting ‘Early Morning Fishermen’ and is available as prints/posters/cards HERE.

How to Artfully Get into Your Element

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

“Life is the power that’s greater than I can ever comprehend. The way life runs through everything, even the tiniest elements of nature – that makes me humble.”
— Michael J. Fox

Handel With Care

No, the sub-heading is not a typo. I decided, this week, to paint to the music of classical composer, Handel. I’m not too familiar with his work or his life story but just decided on a whim that he was the one to explore this week.

I did have a slightly pre-conceived idea that I wanted to paint 2 separate landscape paintings but how these landscapes turned out was beyond my reckoning. I seem to have stumbled onto a very elemental theme with these 2 pictures.

Earth, Fire, Water and Air

“The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we inhabit are not only critical elements in the quality of life we enjoy – they are a reflection of the majesty of our Creator.” — Rick Perry

I used a lot of mixed-media — such as bits of the Giant Redwood bark that I had picked up in Tokai forest to metallic strips of foil that give this painting a unique ‘elemental’ feel.

I started off listening to his ‘Water Music Suite’ which I think lent to the overall theme (there is an aquatic feel in the first painting in the blue ‘lake’ and in the second painting where it looks like there’s a waterfall toppling into the earth’s core). However, as soon as I stepped back and viewed what had come out, I saw all four elements immediately.

The final touches of this painting were the cloud high-lights which gives a peaceful calmness to the painting. The hand in the clouds (in the first painting) was not intentional, it just kind of popped out as I was working on the sky.

So what interested me about these pieces was the running elements theme.

Why are these 4 things so important to us?
What do they represent for us?
How do we embrace them?

Getting Into Your Element

Most of us are living in the rat race, going from one building to another via a freeway of hustle and bustle. Then we are stuck to electronic devices pretty much most of the day having little or not time whatsoever to embrace the sheer splendour of the great outdoors.

What is missing from a lot of our lives is that raw connection to nature.

Wouldn’t it feel grand to…

get buffeted about by a strong wind, swirling around our body as we stand with no resistance and let it tickle our skin and gently blow into our ears.
make a bonfire — pile up the wood, strike that match and be mesmerized by the eternal grace of the flickering flames as they lull us into a state of hypnotic awe.
skinny dip in the buoyant bliss of deep blue waters — wading, swimming, floating, bobbing about in the supportive delights of this glorious element.
stand with our feet growing roots into the soil as we feel the connection to our beautiful planet and all the life she supports.
let go and let the awesome symphony of nature penetrate every crack or opening of your being. Let your soul soak up the splendour of mother nature and revel with appreciation for our beloved Gaia.

Can You Handel a Bit More?

“And the truth must finally lie in that which every oppressed individual feels within himself but hasn’t the courage to express” ― Wilhelm Reich

A fellow creative and confidante was the first to see the pictures a day after I had painted them. He told me straight off the cuff that he was no fan of Handel but when he saw the paintings, he bought both immediately (thank you, because I know you’re reading this!:D).

He said that, in his opinion, the paintings represented the truth behind his understanding of the origin of the music. He went on to divulge the most remarkable story behind Handel — the very reason he didn’t care for him.

It went something like this (the regurgitated succinct edition):

His music was ‘tailored’ for British aristocracy and therefore very ‘stiff upper lip, old chap’. No passion allowed, no blatant display of emotion. And all this paved the way for the onset of a new rigid era.

So, on that note, my friend and I took a deeper look into the grandiose tale of this composers life…

Georg Friedrich Handel (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) supplied music mainly for the English nobility which influenced his style to be more aligned with religious and social ethics.

Handel’s music was almost opposite to the music of Bach (they were around at the same time). Handel was a conformist which was deemed favourable at that specific time because England had descended into a frivolous decadence.

He supplied music with structure and conformity, reintroducing social etiquette. Glorification and the fear of God was what his music aimed at on a surface level.

His pious music injected a very tightly bound corset of primness, formality and ceremoniousness into the English society. The aristocracy welcomed this due to the growing debaucherous behaviour in British society.

The direct result of that was Victorianism.

Fake, Plastic Tunes

Now, it’s interesting to take note that people who hide under the cloak of righteousness are usually hiding something of this nature in themselves. Handel seems to have forged a pious world where his music perhaps tamed his own passions, his own story.

It’s interesting to also note that the structure of Baroque music was mostly stringent, however, bubbling underneath this composer was a burning passion — a passion that was never revealed as his private life was extremely hush-hush.

Another interesting observation is that Baroque music has also been known to connect the left and right hemisphere of the brain.

To read more about and to listen to Handel, click HERE.

The Extracted Essence

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” — Albert Einstein

Both these paintings (above) show a remarkable resemblance pertaining to this bit of rigid but saucy history.

There seems to be a very ‘fake’ landscape painted on top of a what feels like a bubbling inferno (Handel’s passion?). Could this represent the suppressed passion for life that was stifled into forced subjugation — pomp and ceremony as opposed to naked truth?

I hope that this painting is an opening for the observer to see that all forms of artistry can reveal the innate truth if one is persistent enough to dig deep. There could be contained emotions lurking beneath even the most austere of displays. So what is the message here?

Don’t judge a book by its cover?

Or, perhaps, feel free to express who you truly are — it’ll save you a lot of time, hassle and stress.

On that note…here is your free poster/quotation of the week:

To download, click on the picture and then ‘right-click’ and ‘save image as’ to your computer. I don’t mind if you share this on your social networks or print it out for use around the home or office. Please can you leave the copyright notice as is, thanks.

If you would like to purchase a full-sized poster of the above quote, please CLICK HERE.

5 Easy Steps to Get Your Life Back on Track

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

We must look for ways to be an active force in our own lives. We must take charge of our own destinies, design a life of substance and truly begin to live our dreams. ~Les Brown

Making New Resolutions

I was having an interesting debate about resolutions with a friend of mine recently. My friend was opposed to them as he felt they didn’t really work and that especially New Year’s resolutions were all a ‘hype’ resulting in a general waste of time and energy.

Yeah, I get that. We make and break these new years’ resolutions all too quickly which leaves room for doubt and just general disappointment and annoyance with ourselves.

It would appear that we are setting ourselves up for a fall — or are we?

What’s Really Behind a Resolution?

The thought that a spanking clean slate is in the offing is rather enticing — that desire to detox after festive monkeyshines or to join the gym are hardly bad decisions.

However, the pressure to stick to such high expectations can leave us feeling dejected if we nose-dive off the bandwagon. The thing about setting goals is to make them realistic — not only attainable but manageable.

Bite-Sized Portions, If You Please!

What usually drives the average homo sapien is the ability to be able to easily maintain a certain change.

The thought of climbing a high mountain that goes on forever is certainly not as enticing as running up a hill and merrily sliding down on your toboggan several times in one outing. So why not make goal setting the same?

Here are some tips to get you started on a realistic set of resolutions to follow:

1. Draw up a Plan

Get yourself a vision board or a whiteboard — something you will be able to see every day to remind yourself to stay on track. The best place for this is on your fridge or the back of your bathroom door, where you are guaranteed to visit daily. If you are compiling a vision board, paste pictures of the end result you would like to achieve so as to motivate you to tow the line.

2. Don’t Overload

The quickest way to fail with setting intentions is to give yourself too many to plausibly handle. Draw up a list and if there is too much on the list, narrow it down to the top 3 achievable goals for this day/month/year. You can always put the leftovers on next year’s list.

3. Map it with Fun

Get jiggy with it. Make your new resolutions fun. If you want to change your eating habits, find a way to make it a stimulating change by jazzing up your menu/grocery list and looking forward to your meals instead of planning a drab repast plan. If you want to find a new and electrifying job, have fun reinventing yourself and what you stand for — if you want an exciting job, excite yourself first. Make damn sure you’re as exciting as the job you are after.

4. Feel It to Manifest It

You’ve got to feel what you are trying to embody. You want to be lighter? Feel it within first. You want an inspiring job? Ignite your sense of self.

Pretend it’s there if you can’t personify it at first. You’ll begin to rewire your brain to think differently with enough repetition. And remember: Doubt = drought. Water your seeds and you’ll see the shoots soon enough.

5. Release the Inner Child

Everyone has an inner child. There is a part of you that still thinks a butterfly is gobsmackingly awesome, blowing bubbles is a spectacular magic trick and make-believe is as good as the real deal. Tap into that part of you when you are trying to visualize your goals. Your inner tot will help you make-believe a whole new world for yourself this year!

A tedious strategy will reap boredom and inaction — an adventurous plan will have you hopping and skipping to where you want to be.

My new resolution: I want to see people hopping and skipping in the streets this year!

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for PURPOSE FAIRY

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4 Things to Ask Yourself When Searching for Purpose

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Is Social Networking Stifling Your Creative Juices?

Healing Through Art — The Gates to Wonderland Just Got Flung Wide Open

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Lust For Life

I started off my career in art exploring what I like to call ‘decorative’ painting. You know the sort; flowers, trees, butterflies, sunsets, whatever tickled my fancies. There is nothing wrong with this kind of expression and it paves the way for mastering specific techniques and mediums but I always felt a yearning for more expansive art.

However, painting ‘decorative’ art allowed me to express my love for anything resplendent — the beauty of nature.

My art took a turn when I started painting my gold patterned backgrounds (as seen in the picture — right), I was testing the grounds for a more out-of-the-box approach. It was well received and I was happy for a while doing it. These complicated hand-painted motifs of swirly patterns represented ‘life energy’ — something I have been able to see all around me all the time.

I still felt a hunger for something new. I tried to dabble in abstract art, I have always had a love for abstract but found it the hardest thing to paint. I dug deep for this but it still didn’t fit the criterion that was swaying in my soul and keeping me at bay from realizing my fullest potential.

Spirited Away

I dreamed up the ‘Rock Art’ series last year and half-heartedly began my journey quite blinded to how it was going to unfold. After the Radiohead painting emerged out onto the canvas, I literally had a dream and was shown what it meant (read article here).

“Tut, tut, child! Everything’s got a moral, if only you can find it.” — The Duchess, Alice in Wonderland

Interested by this unusual turn of events I endeavored with the project and Metamorphic Dilatation (The Beatles Art) was born.

Love Story

The festive season came and went and I lost a tiny bit of my momentum with this series until I decided to pick up a brush and start with the Jeff Buckley painting (no. 3 in the series). It was going to be Muse but something changed my mind.

What happened with the painting ‘Raw’ changed my life forever. You can read all about it here. After the painting was done I had a dream…

What Dreams May Come

I was taken by a man (couldn’t quite make out who) into a room where I was shown that an artist could extract the essence of a message be it through music, literature or any other means and purvey the idea into a picture — a kind of visual therapy.

“Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction.” — The Doorknob, Alice in Wonderland

I was told that it is quite difficult to get most people to listen to music outside of what they know.

How many of you have tried and failed to get people to listen to the music you like?
Or try to convince them that something that resonates with you should immediately resonate with them?

Same thing goes for literature. You can read a book and have an epiphany but to get someone else to read the book let alone have the self-same striking realization is a difficult task indeed.

It doesn’t mean that there is no message in the song or novel and it also doesn’t mean that your friend is an idiot for not ‘getting it’ or bothering to listen/read. We all work to a different schedule.

But how cool would it be if you could, like an alchemist, extract that message and translate it in a picture? Something that you need to just look at to get or understand the underlying current?

People are usually willing to look at something visual which can only take a few seconds of their precious time.

The meaning I got from my dream was that you can imprint a message or a code (something that sparks off something in you on a conscious or unconscious level) to trigger a healing within you to take place.

Or a prompt to get you to explore the music or literature (or whatever medium is being transmuted) further which may activate that message you need.

The Sound of Music

A good friend (who synchronously is a musician who is working on healing music at this very moment) and I were debating and bouncing off concepts of a universal and quantum nature (we came up with the caption to your right).

We were discussing how music, in itself, can transport you to places that words only try to point you towards.

Obviously, not all music does this — there is music and there is music. Some music can be very base and hollow, coming from the ego or the want for fame and money. Other music relays a message — it could be a cosmic or earthly message. It could be consumed on an unconscious or conscious level.

Have you ever noticed how music can lift your spirits?
Or get you to go deeper into your emotions?
Or simply move you to tears of bliss or sorrow?

The classical composers like Bach and Debussy excelled at elevating the soul. It’s as if they could take you to a higher dimension to feel the music in and around you — letting the vibrations pulsate through every cell in your body, literally absorbing the encoded transmissions of the wonders of 8^th dimensional sound frequency.

Alice Through the Looking Glass

This brings me back to the many epiphanies I’ve been having this month through dreams, synchronicities, ‘a-ha’ moments with friends and family members and opening my mind to new possibilities with the all-encompassing help of the Universe itself.

Talk about unity consciousness at work! We are all so interwoven into this fabric of existence and we reflect so much to and in each other, which ultimately, reflects the entire cosmos. We are One.

So, Alice has been journeying into the reflections of herself and has pulled out all her resources to finally discover what she’s been prepping for.

“Curiouser and curiouser!” — Alice in Wonderland

I started this site wanting to merge my passion for writing with my love of music and art. I set out to do this as best I could, floundering a little at times as I tried new ways to do this. None of which truthfully felt like the puzzle pieces fitted.

With this new insight I finally feel like the puzzle has at last become a recognizable picture (as we are usually given the pieces without the added benefit of having the box image for a reference — no, that would have been too easy). I get to merge the trinity of music, art and literature into one capsule that can benefit the observer in a flash.

I couldn’t have asked the Universe for a better connection to work through me, expressing the Source, than this!

No wonder you’re not supposed to try to ‘control’ the nooks and crannies of how your path will unfurl — nothing out-of-the-box will ever develop with you trying to manipulate it at every turn with only your current understanding of how the world works.

They Call Me Trinity

I need to trim my time expenditure on this site and neatly package it to fit this new revelation.

So, instead of having an art/creativity blog on Tuesday, a spiritual blog on Thursday and a Free Giveaway blog on Friday, I have decided to reconcile all three if these into one new and exciting blog (to come out every Wednesday from next week) that will have inspiring verses, tasty visuals and something for nothing.

I will, from time to time, blog articles of value or interest on any given day but you can rely on the Wednesday blog to be a weekly occurrence.

That’s All Folks!

And that’s the rundown of how this year began for me — thanks for journeying with me and I hope you’ll stick around to see what’s to come in the bright and uncharted future of this magnificent virgin Wonderland.

12 Things Successful People Do To Excel

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

In a world where almost everything seems to be competitive and the yearning for success is rife, take heart in knowing that you can benefit greatly by learning from others and how they manage and maintain success in order to establish a winning formula for your life.

First things first, what does success actually mean?

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” — Albert Einstein

Success can vary according to the individual. It can be measured in relationships, love, money, career, purpose, spirit, attitude and the list goes on.

There are some simple qualities you can take onboard to excel in all of the above. If you know someone whom you or society deems as successful and they don’t quite make the grade with the many attributes listed below, you may want to question their overall success — they may have the money and career in the bag but success in life should tick all the boxes.

Let’s take a look at what sets some people apart from the rest:

Talk Positive — Successful people always communicate confidently to others and themselves. You can’t thrive on a negative dialogue. Aim to encourage, motivate and inspire all you meet including yourself.
Move On — Never dwell on your mistakes. Failure should always be used as feedback. Being stuck in the past only ensures that you will not be able to effectively work in the present. Take your blunders and learn from them — there are always hidden gems to be found in boo-boos.
Look out for No.1 — Efficacious people know that they need to take care of themselves first and foremost. This is not a selfish act; it is an action of necessity. Besides, no-one appreciates a self-declared martyr — there’s no brownie points in it for you, believe me. Acting the martyr will lead you to harbor resentment and will alienate people around you, especially those of you who do everything with a mumble under your breath. When you take care of your own needs first, you will have the ability to help others with a gratified smile on your face.
Set Boundaries — Don’t be a pushover. Know your limits and draw the line in the sand for others when you need to preserve your energy and time. Learn how to distinguish what you need to address and what you need to let alone.
Philanthropy — The Buddha mentioned that one should tithe a percentage (Judaism stipulates 10%) of their earnings to benefit their community. This is a no-brainer. You want to see your society thrive because you are a part of it — it’s a symbiotic relationship. You wouldn’t take a dump on your own doorstep now would you?
Remain Grounded — Remember your roots and always practice humility in the face of any position. Be a lone, content stallion rather than a prancing pony — ponies get ridden at fairgrounds. Strut and you’re likely to stumble, be humble and you’ll always be firmly footed.
Be Open to New Ideas — Bend like a reed in the wind. When you give in to complacency, you stop listening to others and their thoughts — big mistake. You don’t know everything, no matter how old and experienced you are. The universe is ever-expanding so what gives you the right to stand still? Nothing ages you like rigid conceit — your passport to entropy.
Own It — Prosperous people own their lives, where they are, how they got there and what they stand for. Embody your experience and live your truth. Be an original and not a copy. There’s nothing worse than a cheap fake. Everyone has something unique to offer the world — your job is to uncover your diamond.
Admit to Mistakes — Successful people aren’t afraid to acknowledge they’re wrong. True courage lies in integrity — your ability to recognize the truth and concede when appropriate. To err is human.
Think Creatively — Fruitful endeavors are usually sparked by thinking out-of-the-box, stretching beyond what is the norm and testing the limits. If you want to play it safe you’re going to be average. Pushing boundaries is where resilience leads to triumph. Inject colour, passion, vitality and true-grit into everything you do and you will succeed.
Exercise Criticism Immunity — Success lies in your ability to detect constructive from destructive critique. When you can master the skill of not taking things personally, you will be able to clearly see what opinions you can take aboard your ship to steer you in the right direction and which thoughts need to be left on the dock lest they sink your ship. Discernment is one of your handiest tools for gauging the worth of alternate views.
Enjoy Life — Finding joy and fulfillment in everyday activities is another sign of a successful person. Can you take any situation and turn it into a gift? Can you find the beauty in the chaos? The delight in the mundane? If your life is a bore, you need to take a long hard look at who’s making it boring — let me give you a clue: Go stand in front of the mirror. Boring is as boring does. Use your time on this planet wisely, there is a hidden microcosm of treasure in any situation — you just need to view things from a different perspective. A recent study just reported that adventure and travel (another activity you see successful people adhering to) seems to lead to longevity. If there is just one thing you must take from this list let it be to enjoy your life.

“Action is the foundational key to all success.” — Pablo Picasso

The road to success needn’t be a difficult one; your perspective of your given obstacles and victories will determine how you use them to free yourself. The moment you get out of your own way, you will find the happiness you seek.

You can supplement the word ‘happy’ with success — they are one and the same as the definition of success is merely to have a favourable or desired outcome. Ultimately, everyone just wants to be happy.

So, I want to end this off by saying that success is a state of mind, if you let others dictate to you what it looks like then you are doomed to failure. Strive to be happy and content right now and you will be on your way. Take action now to live with the conviction to be happy and you can only be prosperous.

Next stop — success!

*Blue highlighted text, in the article above, will link you to relevant articles pertaining to the concept being addressed.

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4 Things to Ask Yourself When Searching for Purpose

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

When I chased after money, I never had enough. When I got my life on purpose and focused on giving of myself and everything that arrived into my life, then I was prosperous. ~Wayne Dyer

The Burning Question

What is my purpose? The one sweltering question we try so hard to answer and fulfill in our lives but often leaves us cold, feeling confused or frustrated.

There could be so many possible answers. More pressing is the fact that sometimes we don’t just have one singular purpose, or, that purpose could change from day to day, year to year or decade to decade. We need to get comfortable with the idea of going with the flow and trusting our innate instinct.

Job Conundrums

We could be happily (or unhappily) plodding along in a job for many years when one day you wake up and being a (blank) no longer seems to ‘fit’ into your life anymore.

You scratch your head thinking ‘what could I possibly want out of life now? I thought I was a (blank)?’

Never label yourself as one thing or another — you will restrict the flow of your life. The answer could be that you are a quantum, multi-dimensional, layered being. This means that you could be causing change in many numerous ways, even on a subconscious level. We have in built indicators that start beeping when your contract is about to reconfigure or needs to change. This is why I will put emphasis on the fact that we need to learn to trust ourselves and our intuition. You may want to dig your feet into the ground in resistance but you need to entertain the prospect that it is time to move on.

You may either need to professionally pick up and move into another arena or to physically move yourself to another location to shine your light where it is needed more.

Change is the Only Constant

We, as human beings, do not relish change. In fact, for some, it is a frightening prospect. The uncomfortable truth is that the only constant in this life is change. The sooner you can make your peace with that, the better you will be able to adapt to any given situation.

The reasons for change can be countless and I like to refer to these seemingly non-linear events as ‘quantum’. We are navigating in a world of quantum soup, where there are many probabilities layering themselves upon each other. There are so many levels to our lives and the majority of these are unseen or subconsciously being carried out. So if you have a niggling feeling that your life needs an overhaul, it is probably time to start making that happen.

The Universe, Source, Higher Self or God — whichever you prefer — has layered these events to unfold in divine timing and you will be gracefully cushioned to your next phase with ease — that is, of course, if you don’t resist. If you insist on resisting the process, you will probably still get there in the end but it will be the long and bumpy cart-ride instead of the smooth bullet train.

From the Horses Mouth

I speak from personal experience as I have done a lot of job hopping and career labeling in my time. I started my young life out being very artistic and decided to become an Interior Designer. Then I hit my early twenties and joined a band. In between remedial jobs I decided to go back to art and became a full-time painter. This was going well until I got my ‘spiritual nudge’ to write a book. This confused the living daylights out of me because I had labeled myself as an ‘artist’. I was not a ‘writer’! However, I decided not to fight what was coming out and wrote my first book.

I realized that I loved writing — who would have thought? I decided to write and paint but this became very taxing. I got my final nudge to trim back on the art and concentrate on the writing, which is where I am at now. What this whole process has taught me is to surrender to the now and to not fear change because that is where your excitement lies.

Try asking yourself these 4 questions:

What do you feel like doing now?
What is it you would do if money wasn’t an issue?
What is your gut/instinct telling you?
Where do the synchronicities or signposts point you?

If you are having some challenges identifying your purpose, a good place to start is in meditation. The wonders that quiet reflection can do is innumerable. When you are in this state of centered awareness ask yourself ‘what is my purpose?’ and just see what comes up for you.

The answer could be immediate or it could take a couple of hours, days or weeks to come through.

Follow those Synchronous Markers

The key is to be patient and follow the signs and synchronicities. They will be there to guide you. You will have your light-bulb moment if you are dedicated to looking for these pointers.

Just remember they can come to you in many ways— through dreams, meditation, the TV/internet/radio, through people or conversation and pretty much any other precursor that is relevant to your particular question or purpose.

But I Need to Make Money

Yeah, tell me about it! We all need the green stuff to pay our bills at the end of the month, right? This is a difficult one because during the transition you may not make the money you need to and this can often put people off pursuing their dreams.

The answer is that if you trust the process, the gates will open for you but you need to exercise patience and faith. I know faith doesn’t pay the bills (unless you have a wealthy and generous Aunty Faith), but you can make a start at your dreams without giving up you day job for now. Baby steps will eventually lead to you changing tracks permanently and having a solid foundation to do so in the future.

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Purpose Fairy

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Finding Your Magnificence

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

“You do not become good by trying to be good, but by finding the goodness that is already within you.” — Eckhart Tolle

Where is my Pluck?

To have pluck is to be spirited with a determined courage. Its very definition is inspiring — bravery, nerve, valour, guts and heart — but how can we truly embody this deliciously tantalizing trait?

If you feel you’ve lost your pluck or, perhaps, never had it in the first place — a good place to begin to look for it is within.

It cannot be found, with any sustainable long-term results, at:

The gym
The latest copy of ‘Heat’ magazine
The TV/gaming console or any other distracting electronic device
The bottom of a bottle
That new nightclub around the corner
The mall (note to self — especially the shoe shop)

Don’t get me wrong — there is a certain amount of nerve that comes from wearing shoes that elevate you a couple of inches.

I’m not saying you need to stop doing any of these things if they make you truly happy, I’m just pointing out that the things on the list above can be titanic distractions if you are seriously trying to pursue better living.

There’s a bit of magnificence in you and it shines like a diamond, however, unlike a lump of coal enduring vast amounts of stress to produce a diamond — yours is innate. It just might be covered in layers of soot.

Fight-or-Flight Syndrome

We Homo Sapiens have an inbuilt radar system called ‘fight-or-flight’. It can be pretty useful in dangerous situations.

Say for instance, you are being chased by a lion (it surprisingly doesn’t happen often, I know — not even in South Africa, where I live) but for the sake of a good metaphor, I’ll use it.

The chances that you stick around to face your foe and brave out the storm are slim. It would be far more prudent to take flight (preferably up a very high tree). This kind of scarpering in the face of certain death is essential for survival.

To fight it — say perhaps you were armed with a rifle or a kilogram of catnip — may also be wise if there was a high possibility of success (i.e. living to tell the extraordinary tale to your grandchildren).

The only problem with this ingrained sense of preservation is it get’s in the way of our emotional and spiritual growth.

The Human Duress Barometer

The fight-or-flight response is also known as acute stress response.

Essentially, this response prepares the body to either fight or flee any potential threat — no matter what it is. It is also important to note that the response can be triggered due to both real and imaginary threats.

A lot of us have lost our magnificence and have given into the stress of trying to ‘stay alive’ or play it safe.

Uncovering Your Diamond

It wasn’t really my intention to get you to accept your death in this article (although it certainly wouldn’t hurt), it’s more about finding your innate wisdom and knowing that all is well within you — your diamond core essence, living from your heart center.

To stand in love is to fear nothing — there simply isn’t enough space for fear.

In the Face of Inevitable Doom

I was in a discussion where two mature chaps, whom I happen to love and respect dearly, were debating what they would do in the face of a tsunami.

I said that it would be more compelling to stand your ground, knowing that you are about to enter a new phase in the chapter of your existence and to face the wall of water with a sense of awe and acceptance — to which one of the gentlemen concurred.

He said it would be better to face your death with love and peace in your heart and to enjoy the power of nature as the water swept you away. What an amazing perspective — to actually enjoy your own death!

The other lad, however, was shaking his head at us, not quite believing what he was hearing. He stated that he would turn tail and head for the hills! He couldn’t quite understand why we would not want to save our lives.

We retorted by stating that if death was inevitable, the only thing you can do is to truly embody the experience of passing on.

If you can do this with a sense of security about who you are, embracing your divinity, and facing impending doom with reverence and love in your heart — you will die according to your own terms and not in fear.

When Mind and Heart Work Hand-in-Hand

We all need our minds to navigate and to add some kind of structure to our lives but, all too often, our thinking carries us away on paths that don’t serve us. Our heart, on the other hand, is our intuition — our own personal guide.

If we can process situations through our heart first and then our heads, we would be living our luminosity.

To find the magnificence of your soul is to uncover heart-based living. To truly encapsulate your divine essence that is immortal, wise and glorious.

You are more than a mammal walking on the face of the earth. You are more than a statistic on a governmental consensus sheet.

You are a unique and heavenly expression that, with a bit of spit and polish, can radiate and cut through the heart of any situation to get to the deepest of truths.

You are pure magnificence wrapped up in a corporeal vessel.

“More important than the quest for certainty is the quest for clarity.”

— Francois Gautier

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Lightworkers World

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Posted on January 18, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

To download this desktop wallpaper just click on the picture, right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer (same goes for the e-card below or you can just ‘copy’ and ‘paste’ into an e-mail):

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Posted on January 17, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Staying Alive

Why should you even bother?

If you are one of the lucky ones whose mind never entertained such a question, well, good for you. If you know what I’m talking about, you’ve probably been down that road of doom and gloom and ‘woe is me’.

If I had the answer to life on earth, or life anywhere for that matter, I probably wouldn’t be writing this article — I’d most likely be jet-setting all over the world giving my seminars to world leaders (or having high-tea with Oprah).

So what do I have to say on the matter? Well, what I think and what you perceive are probably going to be different as we all have our own special and unique take on things. But let’s get down to some brass tacks…

I Want Proof!

While I have a theory about what life is about, I can’t give you that 100% surety some ask for.

A friend of mine recently pointed out that if I didn’t know the answers with 100% certainty, I shouldn’t be waffling on about them. With which my answer was simply; that I don’t know the answers to your life with 100% surety but I know the answers for my reality and life with…well, let’s say 99.99% surety (I’ll give myself some leeway for error).

The point of incarnating with people is to share, learn and be there for each other
regardless of whether you are right or not — it’s a matter of growing together. I think it’s rather dangerous to claim you have the answer anyway seeing that the nature of the universe is change. Change being the only constant — even a scientifically proven study can be turned on its head tomorrow.

Now if my banging on about my life experiences helps you to see your situation with a bit more clarity, that’s what sharing is all about! Nobody has all the answers and that’s probably how it was designed to be.

What I Do Know (with 99.99% clarity!)

Exiting is not easy. We seem to have an inbuilt chip that prevents us from leaving, or at least not departing without a LOT of premeditated thought and examination of options. Why is this I wonder? Some will call it ‘survival instinct’ and be that as it may, we are animals with an aware consciousness and that, in itself, should give us the ability to over-ride this ‘survival’ mode. I sense there is something else that prevents us from slipping out of the stream of corporeal life.
Living drives you mad. The other splinter in our minds is the inability to ‘figure out’ what the hell we’re doing here. Or at least, not to an extent that we are ever satisfied. So you can’t exit without a bloody good reason and you can’t live without driving yourself insane. Great combo, thanks for nothing, God!
Life is dichotomous. Life is the biggest trip ever! It can be so damn chaotic on one hand and then so delightfully dreamy on the other — this alone keeps us in a constant push and pull tug-of-war. We get so frustrated with our lot in life that we erupt into bouts of cursing and swearing, bursts of enraged tears and, in a feeble attempt to get our way, we shake our fists at the heavens. When we are exhausted from this display of contempt for living, we lie crumpled in a heap and then look up — chest still quaking from the sobs — and bear witness to a spectacular sunset and our hearts melt. Suddenly we are propelled into bliss and we just love it here (conveniently forgetting about the drama that just took place 2 minutes ago).

What Tomorrow Brings

So why should you contemplate staying here and living out your lives? I haven’t got a clue, but if you don’t have the balls to bugger off I suggest you then take the bull by the horns and truly live. Live with 100% conviction. Live like you mean it.

If I had to hazard a guess to the point of it all I would say it’s to enjoy yourself, better yourself and help others to do the same.

Tolerate the downs and relish the ups. Seek out the beauty and enjoy the ride. Surf on the storms and pass them off as experience. Don’t waste this time, you came here for a reason — you must have had a really stupendous plan for coming here, why else would you have put yourself through all this?!

So turn on that CD player, dust off your Bee Gees Greatest Hits and pump out ‘Staying Alive’. Shimmer down and get your groove on.

Enjoy yourself, you silly goose!

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The Secret to Living a Grand Life Revealed!

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it’s all that matters. ~Audrey Hepburn

You want to know the secret, right? You clicked on this article because you’re itching to know what this underground, hush-hush truth to living a brilliant and fulfilling life is, don’t you?

You may initially be disappointed to know that it is not money, good looks, fame and fortune or bending over backwards in philanthropic or selfless pursuit.

Now, although there is no judgment in having any of these features in your life, there is but one simple attribute you can muster up in this very moment that will bring you into alignment. The many masters that walked the earth, did so with peace and content in their hearts because they knew this secret.

Something that is so ridiculously obvious to some but not so apparent to others. ‘Oh what is it!’ I hear you cry. You’re just going to have to bear with me a little longer. Something as fruitfully juicy as what I am about to reveal, deserves a big build up!

The Here and Now

Here we are incarnated on a planet called Earth. Humanity in its apparent prime — a species so trumped up with itself that in our pursuit to strive for greatness we miss a fundamental principle to life and existence. A principle so far out for some that it is overlooked and brushed off as bohemian nonsense — the right to life and a reverence for existence.

The what to who and the who to what?

Imagine a world where everyone had the exact same amount of love and respect for EVERY life form as they do for their own self (assuming that you have mastered the ability of self-love, that is). But, ah, here bares the rub!

Self-Love or Bust!

Respect yourself and other will respect you. ~Confucius

When you attain that love for self that I’m speaking of, you usually automatically begin to love and respect others as well as every other form of life you encounter. I am even including what is deemed inanimate objects here. Everything on this planet has a presence, from the rocks, plants and animals to the soil, worms and the very core of the earth itself.

If you cannot see or feel this to be true, this article will not resonate with you. If you feel just one iota of truth in this, please read on.

The Secret Revealed

Love is what binds us, respect is what unites us. To have love and respect for all life forms guarantees you an excellent quality of life because you will be walking around in sheer reverence to all you come across. There will never be a dull or uninspired moment. Why?

Because when you bump into even a stranger, you will see God in his/her eyes. You will look upon a flower and see the cosmos within the fold of its petals. You will sit up against a tree and feel its life energy resounding through your core and you will sit upon the earth and feel her heart-beat pumping out the rhythm of all life.

Hippy Thinking or Revolutionary Insight?

Some of you may be thinking that I’m some deranged and dangerous hippy, you know, one of those people that doesn’t even want to eat a vegetable because they feel they are killing the plant.

No, not at all. What I am suggesting is that no matter what you do, do it with love and respect. If you want to eat an animal, consume it with love and gratitude in your heart for its life and sacrifice. When you press a ripe and bursting strawberry to your lips, give your utmost attention to its life force and presence (the sunlight that made it grow, the water that gave it its succulence, the earth that housed it). You see nothing ever truly ‘dies’, it is transmuted.

Whether You or the Animal is Lunch

The animal becomes a part of your biology as does the strawberry. You become part of the earth again when it is your time to move on (or in the unusual circumstance that you decide to go on a rather unsuccessful safari, you may become a lion’s appetizer and therefore be at one with the lion and eventually come out as the fertilizer for the earth). Life really has got a sense of continuity (and humor), no matter which way you perceive it!

Find that humor in life, find the peculiarity of oneness with life and find the love for being a part of this unique system — life. See yourself in everything and everything will reflect the wholeness of your being. Feel the life force in everything and shift into unity consciousness. Do this and you will step into love and bliss.

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Purpose Fairy

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Posted on January 3, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

The world could always use a bit more compassion…

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8 Life Strategies That Playing Chess Has Taught Me

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Being a Rookie

Chess is a game that I love to play with my husband. He is such an enviable strategist. When I first started playing with him, I felt like a complete fool every time he snookered my king and got me into check-mate.

When I let my pride take the back seat, I discovered a remarkable game that I could undeniably learn from whilst enjoying some quiet, reflective, quality time with my partner.

I found it a relaxing pursuit with red-hot moments of intensive brain-stretching — a great way to quantize your thinking. It not only takes the grey matter for a stroll around the yard but also teaches you valuable lessons in forethought, planning, awareness and defense tactics.

Has Anyone Seen the Bishop?

I started to see more spiritual truths in chess the more we played; in fact it was beginning to be a remarkable representation of life!

It aroused me to apply these teaching to my own life situations and, if not why not, to other people’s life circumstances too. A lot of people are already either inadvertently or deliberately playing chess with their situations and relationships.

It opened my eyes and taught me that there is usually either a way to slip out of trouble or to catch yourself and your opponent by surprise with your brilliant and calm maneuvering capabilities.

Be Your Own Knight in Shining Armor

Just when things start to look hopeless, you view your game from a different angle or perspective and you move to the side and allow danger to pass. What a great allegory for life!

Here are some of the life strategies chess has permitted me to comprehend:

Multi-layers — there is always more than meets the eye in any given situation.
Patience — slow and steady wins the race.
Side-Stepping — there is usually either an evasive move or a counter-action you can take when in the face of danger. Don’t lose hope.
Shifting Views — when things are looking dire for you, all you may need is a shift in perspective that can open up new doorways.
Positive Outlook — always try to stay optimistic and you will habitually figure out a good move to make.
Acknowledgments — congratulate your opponent on good moves — you can learn from them too. Don’t let your pride get in the way of wisdom.
Grace — be a good loser because you never really lose in life, you just start a new game and learn from the previous one. So hone in on your skills by learning from your mistakes — nothing is ever in vain. Be a gracious winner too, there is no room for friends in your life if your big head is taking up all the space!
Always Have Fun — enjoy the process, the game of chess (life) is exciting, invigorating and challenging — all of which keep you feeling alive, vibrant, polished and motivated.

Metaphors and Metamorphosis — from Pawns to Kings

I love painting life experience with intriguing metaphors and feel even more elated when such an analogy becomes a bald-faced truth.

When we can become the observers of life’s smaller things, like an innocent fixture of chess, and transform it into a fresh perspective of life, it changes us. We start looking all over for these spiritual growth sign-posts and we usually find them in the strangest of places.

Chess is the ultimate sport of existence and even though I know the strategies have been used in more negative life experiences, such as war and devious corporate obliteration, it can also be used to your advantage in co-creating your reality.

Give yourself a game plan and be flexible enough to discern inherent dangers whilst on track, this way you will be able to metaphorically duck and dive bullets (just like Neo in The Matrix movie). Be cunning and graceful and you will never be caught off guard. When you are, don’t give up, learn from it and reload your experience as ammunition for the next round.

There is never failure, only feedback.

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Positively Positive

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Live Like You Mean It — Live With Conviction!

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

“When you take a stand out of deep conviction, people know. They may not even agree, but they ask, ‘Do I want someone who is willing to take a hard stand and someone I can trust to do that when the chips are down?’ They want that”. ~Barbara Boxer

Thumb-Sucking in Society

So many people today seem to be mulling about — scampering hither and thither with no real purpose in life. I’m not implying that you need to have one, two or even three main drives in life, your primary purpose should really only entail the betterment of yourself and, if you can manage it (but usually comes with the package of self-improvement), the betterment of other people’s lives as well.

This does not necessarily mean that you need to don a nun’s outfit and become the next Mother Theresa. It simply means to live with integrity and to let that little light of yours shine, shine, shine.

For want of not breaking out into song at this point, I will swiftly move on.

So many of us ‘self-help’ writers (including myself) bang on about purpose but let’s take a look at another word today — conviction.

What does it Mean to Live with Conviction?

Simply put, conviction is a firmly held belief. You can start to act upon your convictions today by ascertaining:

What is it that you stand for? Is it love, world peace, justice, having a jolly good time, a particular cause, educating the next generation, spreading your particular brand of creativity, etcetera? Get clear on your legacy. How would you want to be remembered? This can usually point you in the right direction.

Then ask yourself how you are embodying this? In other words, how are you walking the talk in your everyday life? You can either take giant or baby steps to stand in the light of your convictions or you can just talk about them. If you choose the latter, you’re not going to be judged by me, but you need to then own that decision too.

Conviction is worthless unless it is converted into conduct. ~Thomas Carlyle

Living your conviction, in my tangy opinion, just means to go for what you believe in guns blazing (not literally, of course). For example: if you choose to smoke, then smoke and enjoy every cigarette. Own the fact that you may die from it, own your choice but also own the enjoyment.

I’m sure I’m going to get 100 angry letters for saying this and let me say for the record, I do not condone smoking (I quit in 2001 and never looked back) but this is an extreme example that can work with any case in point. If you are going to do it, own it.

Are you Wishy-Washing Your Life Away?

Conviction is a way of taking responsibility for your actions no matter what you are doing. If you can’t take responsibility, then you shouldn’t be doing it. Chances are that you are going to end up blaming everyone else but yourself for any future repercussions.

Don’t be a ‘poor me’, be an ‘I-know-what-I’m-doing’ kind of chap/lass.

Own your life, own what you want to get out of it, own that you are still learning and growing, own who you are and what you stand for and most of all own the fact that it won’t last forever.

We are in this theatrical production of life together, we will come and we will go — make the most of it while you can.

Hello, Steven Spielberg!

We can write and act out a drama, comedy, romance, horror, sci-fi (if you have the relevant props and celestial connections) or a feel-good script (heck, it could even be a combination of all!) — this is your God-given free-choice. Live it with conviction and your life story will not only make it onto the Top ranking DVD list but could also end up on Blu-ray.

Own it, be it, do it and then, when it is your time to exit — depart knowing that you truly lived. If you leave this plane of existence having touched just one person’s life, you have made a difference!

Live like you mean it.

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Purpose Fairy

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Finding God and a Reason for Being Here

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

“I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It’s just that the translations have gone wrong.” — John Lennon

A Non-Religious Point of View

I just want to say from the off that I do not subscribe to any religion and am not pushing any particular doctrine in this article, I am merely purveying the teachings of which I am most familiar with.

I have a great respect for all the various religious prophets.

From the time I was a young girl I have found the church and religious doctrine a very hard concept to grapple with. My father insisted I attend church every Sunday up until the age of sixteen, something I resented him for, but now, find to be not only a very synchronistic part of my life but a necessary part of my greater understanding.

Sampling Tasty Tit-Bits from the Melting Pot

When I hit my teens, I started to sniff around gathering insights to other religions and spiritual practices. I found that there is actually a common thread amongst them, one sacred truth to be shared – love.

“Rivers, ponds, lakes and streams – they all have different names, but they all contain water. Just as religions do – they all contain truths.”— Muhammad Ali

Although I never liked the power and control the church had over its congregation, I always thought there was some very spiritually sound advice in the Bible. Some things did have their roots planted in truth, but I also felt that other teachings did not and had the air of control and suppression.

The Anointed One

The parables of Jesus Christ always felt like he had a greater understanding of the intrinsic nature of humanity and the way this world should be experienced – especially when he spoke of our innate divinity – being the sons and daughters of God.

I feel his teachings were deeply rooted in an inborn truth. The meaning of which translates to a profound spiritual morality that addresses 4 fundamental core emotions and practices for humanity:

Compassion,
understanding,
non-judgment and
love.

If you want to solve all of the world’s problems, start practicing this list. See divinity in others and you are well on your way to mastery. I wrote an article a while ago addressing the fear-based myths about God and how to view humanity as you would view your own family and loved ones — you can read about that HERE.

Your Veracity Determines Your Reality

Our truths are buried deep inside, and the whole process of enlightenment is to shine a light on them. When we do, we bring ourselves into complete clarity, alignment and wholeness. This is not done by adding to ourselves, it is achieved by going within. A good place to start is to adopt regular meditational practice (5 Easy Steps to Meditation) and to start exercising trust of your gut instincts.

“The flowering of love is meditation.” — Jiddu Krishnamurti

Jesus was a regular ‘hippy’ spreading the news of love for one another. If you clear all the dogma away around Jesus his message was simple:

‘Unconditional and Unequivocal Love’

We are Divine expressions experiencing the miracle of perceived natural life in the universe.

This life experience is a journey of self-discovery and should be that of joy, love, abundance, peace and wisdom. You are in the driver’s seat of your life – steer it in the direction you want to head for not in the direction someone else programmed into your GPS.

Your life, your choices.

Source Energy and Experiential Life

The Hindus call the eternal, unchanging infinite that is beyond this universe, Brahman. They refer to this reality/world as Maya – the personification that the material world is merely an illusion.

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” — Albert Einstein

This illusory reality world concept can also be seen in the Matrix Trilogy, as humans are literally ‘plugged in’ to a computer-generated world (God bless the Wachowski siblings for making this movie and giving us such an amazing example of this very difficult theory!).

We seem to have lost the ability to see the forest for the trees. We go around feeling a pit in our stomachs, that feeling that something is missing.

What is missing is your connection to Source. The ultimate illusion is that you are lacking it. You aren’t missing anything, you have just forgotten that it exists – and it exists within you. Your heart center holds the vibration and frequency of the Creators love, the only true building block to your inevitable life’s manifestations.

Feeling Lost?

Home is where your heart is means that anywhere you are is your home – this could even refer to the planet you now find yourself upon.

You are never alone, because where you are, there is God. Yearning to be somewhere or to be someone else is a self-defeating and self-destructive rehearsal. Make peace with where you are, who you are and when you are and you will find your place in this world theatre – where you are the writer, director and actor of your very own stage production.

You are the Drop, so Own the Ocean!

We are all Creators living out our creation, we seem to have forgotten that. The ripples, that were born of the one drop, changed their size, and eventually went so far out into the ocean they forgot they were the ocean to begin with – the Source.

Enjoy your life and make your home at the core of your being.

“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”― Anonymous, Holy Bible: King James Version

Believe in your heart quotation 250x244 Finding God and a Reason for Being Here

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Lightworkers World

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Are You Playing Russian Roulette With Your Karma?

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

What is Karma?

Many Faces Many Masks ©Photo by Cherie Roe Dirksen 1024x696 Are You Playing Russian Roulette With Your Karma? If we are to dive into the deep end of the slippery abyss that causes us emotional flare-ups, we need to begin our journey with that tricky little boomerang energetic signature called karma.

So what exactly is karma? In a nutshell, it is an action or deed that starts the cycle of cause and effect. This can be carried over through many lifetimes or it can have the light of awareness shone on it and be resolved in one corporeal sojourn.

We are all in the process of learning and expanding our selves, karma is a way of balancing out any lingering dualistic energy. It is not a form of punishment — I believe it is just a realigning or rebalancing of your soul.

The Uncomfortable Truth

Karma can be a great source of discomfort and why? Because it demands that you go within yourself for answers. Introspection is always difficult and most of us squirm at the thought of delving into our own psyche, akashic records or past life experiences for fear of what we might find there — this is perfectly normal.

However, the truth to any situation is found at the core of your being and one of the most effective ways to get at that core is to meditate (for those of you needing a little nudge to get meditating, here is a link to an article you may find useful: http://cherieroedirksen.com/2011/12/08/do-you-need-to-meditate-part-1/ ). Another great way to identify your karma is to look for triggers.

What Are Triggers?

Triggers can come in the shape or form of things, situations or people that push your buttons. So let’s throw in a few examples:

Things — let’s say you are afraid of snakes. You may come up with a few reasons why you are. One being that it is a rational fear – some snakes are poisonous and can be deadly. However, there are many animals that are dangerous that you may not be frightened of — so this cannot be the only reason for your phobia. This could very well be a karmic attribute that you have stumbled upon.
Situations — you could be someone who absolutely abhors going to a fairground. You don’t know why but it gives you the willies. Or, it could be that you can’t bear to stand on top of a high building or mountain. These can all lead you to childhood or past-life traumatic events.
People — I’m sure this is the one you can relate to the most. Yes, you know the ones I’m speaking of. Those button-pushers, the instant reactivity conductors. They could play a major part in your life lessons. Go into why they trigger you so much and see if you can release them.

Dicing with Your Demons

If you do not address your causality then you will suffer the effect until you do take it out to scrutinize. So, like the old proverb ‘a stitch in time saves nine’, make a timely effort now and prevent more work later on. My advice: Get stitching!

You have a choice to do the work now or later. Though don’t kid yourself, it will have to be done at some point — postponing the inevitable only leads to greater suffering and denial.

I don’t want any long faces so let’s lighten this up a bit…

Play with a Fun Perspective

Hiden Treasure ©Photo by Cherie Roe Dirksen 1024x575 Are You Playing Russian Roulette With Your Karma? If you can look at it more optimistically, it is like a treasure hunt – you are looking for clues to unravel the tapestry of your life and its microcosmic theatricals to unveil the macrocosmic self and its journey’s.

This, if looked at in the light of consciousness, can indeed be an epic adventure. You will come across many synchronicities and pointers that will amaze you. This divine matrix of life works its wiles to weave its multidimensional graft of art and all of it is for your benefit. As Yoda might say, ‘honored you should be!’

Banish the Inner Judge

Hold back any judgment you may want to pass on others and yourself. Just let what has happened rise to the surface to be examined, appreciated (i.e. give thanks for the lesson that you have learnt) and then let it go.

I can hear you say, ‘this all sounds fantastic but what can I realistically do to take the first steps of releasing karma once I have found it?’

You do the Ho’oponopono.

Ho’opono-what?

It’s a remedy I got from a dear friend. It is a prayer from the ancient Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness. Give it a try:

I am sorry

Please forgive me

I love you

Thank you

Now let’s get to the juicy bit…what comes after karma?

Dharma without the ‘Greg’

Hiding ©Photo by Cherie Roe Dirksen 515x1024 Are You Playing Russian Roulette With Your Karma? When you can release your karma you are able to step into Dharma (and I’m not talking about that sitcom from the nineties). Dharma, in this sense, is simply getting back to basics and being present with the natural law of the universe – it is a state of nirvana, that ‘inner peace’ we all search for.

You will be tested, however, and karma – even when it is resolved – can, and most certainly will, be thrown at your feet time and time again for you to pick up and be drawn back into the drama.

This is where you, from your calm centered place of dharma, will rise above the drama. You will be able to detect and single out your karma when you are aware of the programs you have been running and the lessons you needed to learn.

Bring in your awareness to any of these arising issues and recognize them for what they are.

Easier Said than Done?

For sure, but just remember that when you bring awareness to any situation you have already shone 50% of the light on it.

When you can observe the nasty little head of karma, as it seeks to lure you back into 3D reality dramas, you will be able to be the calm, grounded entity who knows thyself. You will be able to say ‘no, thank you — I am moving forward in my life not backwards’, and you can simply walk away.

Yes, you can walk away! You are the still presence that is the walking example, guiding others to their inner knowledge. When your friends and family (and button-pushers) start realizing that they no longer have any effect on you, they are going to want what you have.

Guess what? You are probably going to want to give it to them to — because spreading the light is what you do best!

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Lightworkers World

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Is Social Networking Stifling Your Creative Juices?

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

This is not going to be an article bashing social networking or shouting from the rooftops that it’s from the devil. No, I find it an extremely helpful, if not detrimental, modern-day tool. I utilize it socially — to stay in touch with friends and family — and I use it for my business.

Social networking is a great device for spreading information and touching base. However, it can also be abused.

All too often I see people with their noses stuck to their iPods, even when they are publicly with someone else. Does anyone else find this extremely rude?

What is it that keeps the populace stuck to other people’s dramas or, in some case, tedious actions? Are we craving attention? Is it the need to feel connected? Is it that ugly ego rearing its head and wanting to be seen or to compare?

I feel these actions can inadvertantly drain our inspiration and drive. However, if used properly, they can be great tools of motivation and new ideas.

Let’s Get Real

I think we will all have different reasons for using social networking but if you are finding it hard to keep those nimble thumbs off your key-pad, then let’s dive into a bit of introspection — answer these questions honestly:

Control – do you have command over how much time you spend on social networks such as facebook or twitter, or does it have an irrepressible hold on you?
Breaks — can you go without it for a long period of time and not be bothered? Have you ever tested yourself on this?
Loss — do you feel disconnected if you don’t ‘plug in’? Are you just itching to be updated again? Are you feeling like you are missing out on something?
Time – how many moments do you waste scouring news feeds only to find that 2 hours have passed and you have not really found anything of true value?
Question — how are you using it? Is it benefitting you in some way? Or is it serving as a distraction? Or both?
Limits — can you set yourself boundaries and time limits?
Trimming —Hone down who and what you give your energy to. Are you wasting a lot of time on engaging in a drama that really doesn’t involve you? Are you helping or fueling the situation? Or are you just filling empty space?
Clarity — are you using facebook for friends and people you actually know? Or do you befriend any Tom, Dick and Harry that requests your precious time? Get clear about which social networks are for what. In other words, use facebook or twitter to stay in touch with interesting people, friends and family and sites like LinkedIn and facebook business pages for your associates, promotions and dealings. Be clear about the reason you are using these sites and don’t just give your time away willy-nilly.
Allocations — assign specific times to go on for personal and business use and be liable for those periods — keep to that schedule.

Rudeness Concealed as ‘The Norm’

At all costs avoid whipping out your iPad in real conversation with bona fide friends and colleagues – nobody appreciates this and you may end up losing a tangible friend or business deal for one moment of digital gratification.

The friends who are willing to meet up with you in the flesh are the ones that will be there for you when you need them. Give them your undivided attention and respect.

If someone has taken time out to be with you, they should take precedence over any electronic device that is beeping for your attention — learn to turn it off if it’s a distraction.

Take the Test

If you find that social networking is controlling you and you can’t let go, try this out:

Alert your connections that you will be taking one weeks (or however long you feel you need) ‘vacation’ from the net.
Hold yourself accountable for it, no matter what juicy adventures you want to share – be present with that urge to splurge and be at peace with telling no-one.
Observe how remaining silent makes you feel – do you feel a certain tranquility or are you chomping at the bit? Really question yourself — do you truly need to share that photo of your dinner last night? Do your friends need to know how long you were at the gym this morning? Possibly not.
If you are experiencing more calm and ease without social networking, then this exercise has worked. You will be more aware of how to limit your time dedicated to it in the future. Work out a viable timetable and stick to it.
If you are edgy and feel anxious, then this exercise has also worked and you need to go into why you are feeling this way. Social networking has a hold over you and there is something there that needs addressing. Dig deep and follow the thread of answers to this question: Why do I feel the need to be distracted? You will be taken to the core of your inability to ‘let go’ of being in the loop about every little detail, or keeping people in the loop about every endeavor you undertake.

You Are the Center of Your Own World

When you take a break from your social networking sites, I can bet that you most likely will not be missed — however, this will not be from the lack of love your friends and associates have for you.

The reason is, in all actuality, you are not going to be the center of their worlds and they will most likely have many other diversions to keep them busy. Don’t take offense at this — it is helpfully indicative that everyone has a ‘life’. You are at the center of your revolving world and they are conducting their version of reality too — learn to honor this and be grateful when your worlds collide for the greater good.

This can give you a clearer perspective of how you identify what is important and hone down what you feel you need to distribute that will benefit others. It will aid you to ascertain what needs to be shared and what can remain private.

Call to Action

I want you to work out approximately how much time a week you spend on social networking and then compare it to your new timetable. Let us know how much time you have saved and what you now do to use that time more creatively.

Use social networking responsibly and you will have the best of both worlds.

Use social networking to see the beauty in life, to get inspired and to spread good vibes — don’t let it use you to become a slave to that lower vibrational world of gossip, drama and bullshit.

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Conscious Life News

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‘Love and Light’ — What Does it Mean?

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

What is Meant by the Saying ‘Love and Light’?

This is an interesting conundrum. It is a saying that has become a standard greeting in the spiritual community but what exactly does it mean?

“Where there is love there is life” — Mahatma Gandhi

I touched on this adage in my book Divine You but never really found a satisfactory answer. But, hang on, do I see a light at the end of this tunnel?

I was listening to Deepak Chopra the other day and he was discussing light in the context of photosynthesis.

Science and Light

Can you believe it, science rearing its technical head in a spiritual blog? Actually, the bridge between spirituality and science is closing in rapidly.

Let’s put this simply because I don’t want your attention to wane. Light creates form. There you go, in a nutshell!

Ha, but what does this have to do with spirituality?

Everything! We are spirit having a human or ‘material’ experience. We are incarnate, in form in a dimension that requires atoms (which are pretty much free-floating molecules) to coagulate into matter to make up ‘stuff’. I know, my scientific prowess is amazing — I’m surprised New Science magazine hasn’t lassoed me to write for their journal yet.

Suffice to say that we need this ‘stuff’, or, more eloquently, solid matter to navigate this third dimension of physical, material reality.

Okay, now I know you’re an intelligent bunch so you’re still with me…

The sun’s rays are transported to Earth through the ether and provides organisms with light energy which they convert into chemical energy — a process otherwise known as photosynthesis.

Even the word ‘photosynthesis’ is profound — it is derived from the Greek photo-, “light”, and synthesis, “putting together”.

Without light plants won’t grow and without plants, herbivores would die and without herbivores, then carnivores and omnivores die — you get the picture.

Are you beginning to put things together here? Light = putting together.

Right, so Where is Love in all of This?

Love, although it can’t be proven in a laboratory, is the glue that binds existence together for us spiritual beings. It’s what makes life interesting and adds to our staying power here.

Without love, what would be the point, right? Ergo, in my humble opinion, love is what keeps us on this planet. It is what holds the form together, the egg to our cake — the binding ingredient of all biological life.

So light provides us with form and love keeps us in form — interesting, huh?

Let’s Put this Together, Shall We?

In conclusion to this waffle, I’d like to sum this up by adding; there is another wise saying in spiritual circles — Namaste — which means ‘I bow to you’ — it’s beautiful and shows respect. It is a recognition of the divine spark within another. However, of late, we have that new greeting to contend with, ‘love and light’. Now, if you like of course, you can say this with some conviction and actually mean ‘may you be held in good form’. Okay, that sounds ridiculous. Let’s see — how about summing it up with ‘love and light’ meaning:

‘May love always keep you tethered to the One of all that is and light grace your being’.

What’s your take on this adage? Do you use it? Does it get your heckles up? What does it mean for you?

Original article was written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Lightworkers World

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Posted on November 27, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Tried and Tested — A Tale of Two Countries

In the past 2 years I have experienced the delights of visiting Thailand and being bowled over by their inherent sense of beauty and creativity to their humble way of life and their desire to please. I have also recently been to Egypt and have encountered, firsthand, the very friendly yet domineering patriarchal way of their culture.

“The ancients envisioned their world in two halves – masculine and feminine. Their gods and goddesses worked to keep a balance of power. Yin and Yang. When male and female were balanced, there was harmony in the world. When they were unbalanced there was chaos. ” ~ Dan Brown

Both cultures are clearly trying very hard to make their way in life off the tourism trade and I felt like a walking ‘dollar’ sign (if they knew I dealt primarily in Rands — South African currency — they probably wouldn’t have bothered!).

I do, however, understand this and hold no judgment for them, in that respect — we all need to make a living. The difference however was that the Thai people came across as being very gentle, artistic and what I would like to call matriarchal people. The Egyptians left me with an impression of being aggressive, zealous and patriarchal.

Balancing the Yin and Yang

I only figured out, some time after both of these excursions, that they each reflected the opposite side of the scale.

I saw massive potential in both cultures and met and made wonderful friends both in Thailand and in Egypt. I have to say that the youth of Egypt certainly show the most signs of growth and thinking out-of-the-box. My encounters with the more belligerent Egyptians were definitely steeped in ’old energy’ thinking and customs. This is something I am obviously not used to, so it affected me quite deeply.

However, both these cultures lack something. They are missing the balance of both left hemisphere (linear, structural, orderly, etc.) and right hemisphere (passionate, artistic, expressive, etc.) thinking, the marriage of divine masculine and divine feminine — the coming together of the yin and yang.

When either one of these attributes is out of alignment or missing, there is unbalance.

“Most men are very attached to the idea of being male, and usually experience a lot of fear and insecurity around the idea of being a man. Most women are very identified with their gender, and also experience a tremendous amount of fear and insecurity.” ~ Andrew Cohen

Creativity versus Order

In the case of the Thai people, they were extremely creative and inventive yet they were incredibly submissive and this leaves them open for exploitation.

With the Egyptians, they had a system of order and controlled interaction that would not budge. It was either their way or the highway. With the obvious lack of female energy (as it is tradition for their women to be at home and not in the workplace), you had a definite sense of escalated anger over small things. They could go from 0 – 10 in a matter of seconds. As friendly as they were at times, they also lost their cool very quickly. This is because there was too much masculine energy and no feminine presence to temper the storm of emotions that arise.

You need both masculine and feminine energies to complete a fully charged and functional system. This brings me to dimensions.

Harmonic Dimensions

We live in a world that is deemed as 3D, however, it is very compartmentalized. This is a true reflection of the statistical mindset of the world at present. What we need is to incorporate the uneven trait of creativity and sensitivity to balance out this equation. It is okay to have organization and order as long as you also have an even balance of creative expression. The world is coming into this balance as more and more people are seeking to express their imaginative flare. When we reach a tipping point, you will see how fast love and happiness are spread on a global scale.

Can you see how this dimension theory brings in the concept of left brain order and right brain inventiveness? When humanity realizes that all we need to do is to direct ourselves creatively amidst the structure, we will have stepped into the new paradigm — a New Earth.

In Closing, Let’s All Say a Prayer

In closing, I would like to ask that you all say a little prayer for that brave young Pakistani lady, Malala Yousafzai, to make a full recovery.

“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” ~ Joseph Campbell

She is a symbol of great courage and hope for so many. May the seed she plants for women’s rights today blossom into the tree that represents balance and equality in her society.

Originally written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Purpose Fairy.

Other articles you may enjoy:

Finding God and a Reason for Being Here

Live Like You Mean It — Live With Conviction!

Are You Playing Russian Roulette With Your Karma?

‘Love and Light’ — What Does it Mean?

What Does Thanks-Giving Mean to You?

Serenity…Your Passport to Peace

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Serenity — that wondrous state of being calm, peaceful and untroubled.

But how do we get there? You get quiet — it’s really that simple.

“Nothing is so aggravating as calmness.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

Have you ever tried remaining calm when someone else is raging at you? Have you noticed how quickly they stop? Why is that? Well, you look like an idiot for one thing — it’s the best form of defense.

Serenity is all about being calm in the face of reality and in the words of Lao Tzu:

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”

When you are able to observe your emotions as they rise within you, you will begin to master having greater control of how you act upon them — if at all.

Here are some blogs that may help you get to your state of serenity:

5 Easy Steps to Meditating (No Lotus Position Required)

Do You Need to Meditate?

Free Serenity eCard

And last but not least, I haven’t forgotten that it’s Friday and that means you get another e-card to add to the collection (click on picture, right-click and ‘save as’):

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4 Practices to Help Cure Negative Thinking

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come. ~Robert H. Schuller

My friend and I were out walking this morning around the neighborhood when we noticed some magnificent landscaping and flower beds to die for! We were also, funnily enough, talking about having foggy, congested heads (physically and mentally) because of the amount of time we are spending on our computers. We both happen to be writers.

I found that looking at these spectacular gardens really opened up my heart space and led me to think about this concept of the mind/garden metaphor.

If we can just give ourselves time in our own gardens (minds) to prune back, weed and cut off any dead branches and scrape up old leaves off the grass, we would be able to temper that stuffy headedness.

Back to my morning stroll…we then went on to discuss how meditation, exercise, getting out into nature and yoga work to unclog this tightness and tiredness in the head.

So, some good practices to follow when you feel your thoughts aren’t being honorable paying guests in your head are to:

1. Gift yourself some time for space and clarity

This doesn’t have to be for very long stretches (however long you want) but make sure it is at least 10-15 minutes of down-time. You can sit in your garden or in a comfortable quiet space and reflect on your thoughts. Realign them to what you feel comfortable with. Then simply let all your thoughts dissolve and sit in stillness. Observe what comes up and then put it aside. Enjoy the space of just being. We are human BEINGS not human DOINGS. Don’t forget that.

More important than the quest for certainty is the quest for clarity. ~Francois Gautier

2. Assess yourself

If you are having a lot of negative, worrisome thoughts, ask yourself if they are really necessary? Is worrying about it going to change anything? How can you steer them onto a different more nurturing path?

There is a basic law that like attracts like. Negative thinking definitely attracts negative results. Conversely, if a person habitually thinks optimistically and hopefully, his positive thinking sets in motion creative forces — and success instead of eluding him flows toward him ~ Norman Vincent Peale

3. Go for a walk or do some yoga

Any kind of exercise can actually give you a huge boost. I know a lot of people who are tired and worn out from a hard day’s work don’t particularly care for physical movement. Perhaps you think it is the last thing that can help but it really can. Just 20-30 minutes can really get you to shift stagnant energy and get your system up and firing.

Walking is a man’s best medicine. ~Hippocrates

If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk. ~Raymond Inmon

4. Breathe properly

Take a few good and hearty breathes. This is a wonderful grounding tool and can get you into balance very quickly. Most of us breathe very shallowly, not allowing for the body to become fully oxygenated. Try to take in enough breath as to fill your lungs and spill over into your stomach (you should look like your pregnant — that is an indicator that you have got in enough air). Breathe in to the count of 5, hold it to the count of 5 and then consciously breathe out to the count of 5. This enlivens and awakens your mind — try it, you’ll see.

Focusing on the act of breathing clears the mind of all daily distractions and clears our energy enabling us to better connect with the Spirit within. ~Author Unknown

Kick out fear, worry and drama to finally start renting your headspace out to positive, nurturing and creative thinking — the paying guest.

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Purpose Fairy

What Does Thanks-Giving Mean to You?

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Now for those of you wondering what a South African has to say about Thanksgiving — this is not about the American holiday, it is about the art and practice of gratitude.

Why is Gratitude Important?

Gratitude, like everything else in the universe, is a workable energy. On the scale of polarity, it is a positive energy that when used will attract more of the like back to you.

What Does this Mean?

This means that the more you ‘give thanks’ for the things in your life, whether they be your family, friends, your health, roof over your head, food in the fridge, your clothes, car, etc — the more of that energy will be returned to you.

Whether it be through appreciation or just the universe giving you more of what you are grateful for.

“We often only tend to see the lack we are experiencing”

Gratitude should be given for everything and anything. Try to see all the positive things, people or situations you have in your life. Make a list, if you can. You will be surprised at how much there is to be thankful for. Then keep on reminding yourself when you are feeling lack – pull out the list and read it!

We often only tend to see the lack we are experiencing. When this is the prime focus you are attracting more of that energy into your life. This is how energy works or what is referred to as the Law of Attraction.

Like Attracts Like

So when you are putting thoughts out there of lack or longing, your energy is that of lack and longing and that is what you will continue to draw into your life.

Change your thoughts by simply altering your energy from lack to gratitude. There is always something to be grateful for. Even if it is the air that you are breathing — that is keeping you alive — be grateful!

Just the fact that you woke up in a warm bed and with a roof over your head is testimony to the full life you are leading. We take too much for granted.

“As you open to receive, your heart will expand and this feeling is elation and bliss”

When you alter your energy you will ‘feel’ it. When you experience the ‘not having’ you will feel it in your solar plexus (stomach area), this feels like you’ve been punched in the gut. Not a nice feeling at all. It can even lead you to feel nauseous.

An Attitude for Gratitude

When you alter that energy to gratitude, you are moving up on the scale of positivity and you should begin to shift that feeling out of your solar plexus and start to feel a more expansive feeling in your chest. This is commonly referred to as your heart chakra.

As you open to receive, your heart will expand and this feeling is elation and bliss — much better than being kicked in the stomach, eh?

Try it out. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Shift your attitude and embrace gratitude. Your life will change. Practicing the art of gratitude allows for you to start experiencing your life the way it was meant to be lived.

Make every day thanks-giving day!

Original article was written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Interviewfest.

For a little more inspirational thanksgiving day ideas and tips on making a gratitude board, CLICK HERE.

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Finding Your Inner Peace

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind — Buddha

I want to keep on reminding you about gratitude. Why? Because to be in a state of thankfulness you are very close if not touching internal peace.

When you brim with gratitude, that feeling is overwhelmingly heart-centred and can literally make you glow. To be mindful of all that is right for you in the world now instead of harping on all that is wrong, brings you into alignment with abundance.

Think of abundance as your ‘happy place’. It’s not just about being rich, it’s about experiencing all the good things life has to offer…joy, peace, bliss, health, material wealth, love, friendship, etc.

So do your little a-bun-dance! Wiggle your butt and dance for joy in honour of all you have.

In honour of joy and abundance, here is your free wallpaper and e-card download for this week (click on picture, right-click and ‘save as’):

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Finding Humility Through Wisdom

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Recognizing the Source in All Life — Realigning with a New Dress-Code

Let’s tackle a very difficult notion, one that I think needs addressing. Actually, not only does it need addressing but also undressing and a complete new wardrobe! I’m going to have a crack at being the brave little tailor here.

We believe in the dignity of every life, the possibility of every mind, the divinity of every soul. This is our true North. ~Elizabeth Dole

Now then, let’s see — simply put — God, the Divine Intelligence that created us all, the Source or whatever you choose to call it, is omnipresent, in everyone and everything. This is not a new concept— most religions or faiths believe this. So why is it so hard to see the divinity in others?

I think it is because we don’t understand the outer actions or inner framework of thought construct with some of our global siblings. But how can we overcome this huge hurdle and see divinity en-masse? And how can we get over our own spiritual egos so that we can treat all as equal?

Are Adults Superior to Children?

Let’s use this as a metaphor. Say you have a 4 year-old and you are an adult of 34. Would you look down on the child and shake your head declaring, ‘you just don’t get it, do you?’ Would you feel superior because, in your experiential 30 years of extra life, you do get it?

Hardly, I should think. Why? Because you know that the child will most likely catch up to your level of experience by the time he is 34, if not surpass your current field of understanding altogether.

Now let’s apply this to a global metaphor.

The Illusion of Supremacy

Some souls are further along in their development than others; however the latter are like the child metaphor — they could be just starting out. Just because they started their spiritual sojourn later than you, does not make you better than them.

They could grow so exponentially that they might end up being the next Dalai Lama, Mother Theresa or Martin Luther King — even though it may not be in their current lifetime.

It’s all about seeing the bigger picture, being humble in the wake of your accumulated knowledge and look past all preconceived ideas or judgments about another soul’s path. When you do this, you may be able to recognize the divine shard of God that they hold.

Don Your New Outfit

Clothe yourself in a cloak of understanding, humility and reverence for all life — no matter what shape, size or form it takes in the present moment.

Do not judge a sleeping person for missing out on the beautiful delights of the dawn. Rather enjoy the spectacle of the sunrise and know in your heart that when they awaken, they will too experience the joy of the sun.

You are no better or worse than another, through your personal awakening you have just become aware.

Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment. ~Morihei Ueshiba

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Purpose Fairy

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Why Weird is the New Cool

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

A Call to all Potential and Existing Weirdos!

Destiny Quotation by Cherie Roe Dirksen 853x1024 Why Weird is the New Cool Destiny, fortune, luck, kismet — are these all words you associate with ‘weird’?

Well, believe it or not, the actual meaning of this repudiated word ‘weird’ is all of the above. As an adjective it suggests something uncanny or supernatural and as a noun it is a person’s destiny!

The original word stems from Wyrd which can be traced back to Germanic, Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse etymology — all meaning ‘destiny’. In Old English it is also a verb meaning ‘to come to pass or to become’.

“Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” — William Jennings Bryan

Yes, my friends, you have guessed it — it’s totally cool to be weird!

If someone now calls you weird you can retort with, ‘thank you, I rather pride myself on my supernatural and mysterious ability to become who I was meant to be and fulfill my destiny’. That should keep their mouths shut.

It’s a Kind of Kismet

Kismet, better known as luck or destiny, is a much spicier word than fate. Fate has a certain doom and gloom about it.

Fate conjures up imagery of having no control over your future, being left to chance or just handing over your power and feeling impotent in its wake.

Banish Fate and Give a Warm Welcome to Destiny

Don’t give in to fate — grab destiny by the horns and start believing in your innate power of fulfilling your calling.

“People that are really very weird can get into sensitive positions and have a tremendous impact on history.” — Dan Quayle

Weirdly Cool DigiArt by ©Cherie Roe Dirksen 665x1024 Why Weird is the New Cool You are either consciously co-creating your life experience by taking responsibility for your choices and where your thoughts and actions are taking you, or, you are randomly plodding along the path that is leading to your so-called fate.

The latter being a route that you feel you have no choice over and that this hocus-pocus balderdash of ‘creating your own destiny’ is just a new-age farce. I have no problem with that and good luck to you.

However, what if there was just one iota of truth in the ideology that you can create your future? I would say it’s worth a try, wouldn’t you?

In fact, I have tried it out for myself and I can honestly say that it works. However, my life experiences are not going to convince you of its validation; only you can take charge of your life and make those changes so you can see for yourself, firsthand, that there is legitimacy in the claim.

Alarm Bells and Wake-Up Calls — Have You Been Hitting the Snooze Button?

“The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.” — Albert Ellis

What’s that buzzing noise? Oops, my alarm clock is going off!

Wake up because millions of people are doing this and are exercising their rights to become successful co-creators of their reality. They’re having a ball finding out how this life fits together like a giant jigsaw puzzle when you are out looking for those synchronicities and pointers that slot your desires into place.

Why don’t you join them and see where it takes you? You can officially be weird and proud!

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Lightworkers World

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Gift Yourself this Thanksgiving — Presents from the Heart that Last a Lifetime!

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

The Attitude for Gratitude

With Thanksgiving just around the corner (November 22nd), I was thinking about how all global citizens can catch a ride on this American holiday wave.

Gratitude is something we should express every day, not just on one particular day — obviously. However, having one ‘big’ day to truly express your thanks is not a bad thing.

Taking Leaves Out of American Books

So, why not mark off the 22nd November as a special day for you — no matter where you are in the world — to give thanks for all that you have. If you already make this part of your daily routine, my hat is lifted to you.

If it is something you just haven’t got around to thinking about yet, or, you have given it some thought but somehow that chemical reaction in your brain runs out of electricity as it is passed out through your ear.

In other words, you know you have mounds of things to be grateful for but you haven’t the staying power to run through the list every morning.

Making Your Own Gratitude Board in Seconds!

I have the solution! It’s called a gratitude board and it goes straight onto your fridge — the one place you are guaranteed to look at least once day!

You can make it out of cardboard, you can print it from your computer, you can make your own at Zazzle or you can buy it ready-made HERE.

However you decide to go about making this board, I suggest you set a goal to have it up and running by the 22nd November 2012. I will even hold you accountable on that day if you send me an e-mail (cheriedirksen@yahoo.com) with ‘HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE FOR THANKSGIVING’ in the title/subject line.

Suggestions and Tips to Get the Ball Rolling

These boards make great gifts too, especially if you are looking for a meaningful token for that certain someone who needs a little nudge in the right direction.

“When children are immersed in a creative task, the underlying lesson sticks like glue.”

You can also present them to your guests as a parting novelty at Thanksgiving dinner — a heart-felt gesture like that is sure to go down a treat! Or, if you are not hosting this special occasions yourself, why not give one to your whomever happens to be your gracious host at Thanksgiving lunch/dinner. Heck, they even make the perfect birthday or Christmas gift!

If you don’t feel like getting the magazines, photo’s, glue and cardboard out to make your own board from scratch, you can make a gratitude dry-erase board on Zazzle and customize it to your heart’s content — CLICK HERE (they start at $16.95). You can dress them up with your own pictures or photo’s of loved ones that you are grateful for — go mad!

Get the Kids On-Board the Gratitude Express!

You can even get your children or grandchildren involved with this project — it will be a valuable lesson for them to see just how much they also have in their lives to be thankful for. When children are immersed in a creative task, the underlying lesson sticks like glue.

Just remember to leave some room on the board for expansion. This is something that you are going to have to get used to along your path of gratitude because the more you give thanks for what you have, the more you will have to be thankful for.

You don’t feel like making your own or you just don’t have the time? Click on the picture below, I have already made up one for you.

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Beet it! 2 Super Juices that will Give you the Edge

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

My local supermarket started stocking organic vegetable juice recently. I took the plunge and bought their beetroot and carrot juices (separately). I have experienced carrot juice before and it is fairly innocuous — especially when mixed with orange juice.

Beetroot, however, is pungent and, although I don’t mnd the taste, it can be rather invasive smell-wise, stain-wise, urine-wise (you’ll know what I mean if you eat beetroot!).

So what keeps me buying these juices every week and literally has me force-feeding my husband, who is vegetable intolerant, with a funnel?

I looked up the health benefits of both. Let me start with beetroot. If I haven’t got you galvanized, by the end of this blog, to shoot off down to your local grocers then I need throw in the towel.

Beetroot Benefits:

Anti-aging properties
Fights cancer
Improves digestion and metabolism
Stimulates weight loss
Detoxes the liver
Helps with Glandular Fever
Boosts the immune system
Stimulates brain function
Radiation protection

Footnote: If you are not accustomed to eating or drinking beet, be warned that your excretions — both no.1 or 2 — could be tinged red due to the colouration of this vivacious veg.

For a more detailed article on beetroot, please CLICK HERE

Carrot Wise:

Lowers the risk of cancer
Improves vision (so Bugs Bunny was right!)
Prevents heart disease
Reduces the risk of having a stroke
Anti-aging properties
Helps with skin tone

To read more about carrots, CLICK HERE

I hope I have convinced you to add a glass of these super juices to your daily diet. And on that note, here are your free e-card downloads for this week. I thought I could inject some humour into this juicy subject with an ‘I’m sorry’ card and a ‘Birthday’ card:

To download: Click on the picture, then right-click and ‘save as’

To check out more of my fruity produce designs, please feel free to peruse the many optical delights of my VEGE-TATE GALLERY — Click Here.

Happy Friday!

3 Silver Bullets to Eliminate Fear

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free. ~Jim Morrison

Shooting Straight from the Hip

Fear is a mighty, malevolent and strong emotion. Why does it have so much potency in our lives?

The media, governments and big business corporations galvanize us into believing or buying into so many illusory reasons to fear the worst case scenarios (as made up by them). They usually claim to hold the answer to all your problems too – not in the least bit suspicious, right?

We also need to take responsibility for giving credence to and creating our own fears, literally stifling ourselves with things to worry about.

Every time you give into fear you feed negativity and give it more power. In fact, you give away your own power in the process. Fear is a choice, like it or not.

There are, of course, many different types of fear but they are all grounded in the act of giving your power away. When we come up against any fear, we are actually being presented with a chance from the universe to be brave and face up to it. Get to the nitty-gritty and uncover the truth about why we are so afraid or uncomfortable.

Stripping Fear

Let’s get to the core of anxiety. What is fear?

In order to work this emotion back into the light, we need to find its polar opposite. This, simply put, is LOVE. When you inject love into fear it dissipates. It has no stronghold in the presence of love. But how do I start projecting love when my knees are knocking?

Well, let’s address what is called heart-centered living — I’m sure you’ve all probably heard that word by now. People are talking about it a lot and as airy-fairy and lace-clad as it may seem — there is a solid foundation of truth in it.

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot. ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Heart-Based Quickening

When you work through your heart, based primarily upon how you are feeling about something (as opposed to working through your mind and how you think about something), you are guided by a more truthful resonance of picking up subtle nuances from your surroundings rather than being directed by what reason dictates.

So even though we are in need of our minds and pensiveness, we have been dominated by left-brain thinking for centuries. A shift is occurring, not to totally disregard our thoughts but to channel through the heart and then process through the mind. In other words, not just to go straight to the head and bypass our hearts or how we are feeling intuitively.

Rationality can be useful but it has, in some cases, left our instinctive abilities to wither in its heated presence. Sometimes our ‘logic’ has actually hindered and held us back from following our bliss because ‘society dictates otherwise’ or ‘the norm is to…’ — be careful of whose ‘norm’ you are conceding to.

It’s that age old conflict between science and spirituality (left-brain versus right-brain) — the solution to which is using both in balance.

3 Key factors to transmute fear are remembering that:

1. FEAR

Don’t buy into it. Think of all the things you have feared in the past — did any come true? If yes, did you survive it? I take it you did if you are reading this. The energy or vibration of fear draws that which you worry about closer to you. Have you ever been with someone who is not afraid of dogs but you are. When a dog comes running at you both, it goes for you, my sweaty-palmed friend, not your companion. Animals, as you probably know, can sense fear — so can the universe and the universe is impartial. It acquiesces to what it thinks you desire via your frequency output. Your emotions are pointing towards fear? Expect life to become frightening then. The only thing you should fear is fear itself.

2. LOVE IS ABSOLUTE

Get used to being tuned into your feelings and steering them to safer shores. When you are in fear, inject some love into your aura by thinking of someone you love, your favorite pet, the infectious chuckle of your child or grandchild or a blissful memory. This is how you get to expand on the feeling of love in the face of fear. Show fear that you have too much love in your heart. Fear is a mental construct in the absence of love. Trust your instincts.

3. YOU ARE IN CONTROL

Short, sweet and to the point. If you want to be self-empowered then the first things you need are awareness and the ability to take responsibility for your actions. These two fundamental principles are gateways for you to realize your inherent potential. You are a co-creator, take responsibility for that and take control.

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. ~Nelson Mandela

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for PURPOSE FAIRY

9 Truths About Letting Go of Opinions that Taint Us

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

1. Smoke and Mirrors

The fear of imperfection and/or of not being accepted is, of course, an illusion. Who gets to be the judge and jury on what is deemed beautiful or hideous — successful or stupid? Let me guess: The tabloids or magazines, possibly Hollywood or the catwalks of Milan? How about TV/movies and the media? Spare a thought about who you give your power over to. The various outlets that dictate what beauty and normal are seem to be pushing fake, in my opinion. There are moments where true beauty can shine through these channels, but those flashes are few and far between. True beauty and acceptance is in the eye of the beholder. So anyone claiming to know what beauty or normal definitely is needs very close examining if they are not including every member of the human race in their rundown.

2. Self-Realization and Repair Kits

When you can out these undesirable contracts you can begin to repair them. We have to discover why we felt the lack and how we are feeling now about the same issue. Then we must align it to our higher self by breaking down the agreement piece by piece and offer it up to the light to be cleansed.

3. Inherent Beauty and Perfection

We need to look at ourselves and find the beauty inherent in us, not always trying to fish out our perceived faults. When you treat yourself with loving kindness and nurture your self-esteem with positive thoughts, you will begin to shift into alignment with your higher self.

4. Dissecting Agreements

When we were young we had no inhibitions and sang at the top of our voices, danced our hearts out (whether someone was looking or not) and thought we were princesses and superheroes. Then one day someone came along and made you feel less than what you felt about yourself. You may have paused to take it in – then you made a crucial decision. Either you agreed with what they said or you didn’t. That is why some of us can still dance freely and not be bothered whilst others cringe at the thought of dancing in public – this could be due to an earlier experience of being made to feel like you were ‘no good’ by someone who was only giving you one piece of the puzzle.

Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner. ~Lao Tzu

5. Piecing Together Your Puzzle

When I said that the person was only giving one piece of the puzzle I mean that they have a preference based on their version of reality. That is one person’s perspective in a sea of other possible candidates – ones who may have loved your form of expression. This person could have also been a child, an acquaintance, a stranger or it could have been someone you trusted and loved deeply. The latter is often the case and can make the hurt twice as potent. However, we must consider that some things are said in the heat of the moment and not really meant by the offender, so we really need to see why we made the agreement.

6. That Tricky Enigma Called Universal Appeal

You need to know that you can never have universal appeal. You or your talents may not be one person’s cup of tea but what about all the other people in the world who will resonate with your particular brand of uniqueness? However, ultimately you need to please only you. When you do this then you are immediately accepted and no outside influence can make you feel anything other than what you know yourself to be.

7. Acknowledge the Good

We sometimes tend to disregard the ones who encourage us, leaving only space in our thoughts for the ones who hurt us. Why is this, I wonder? Everyone has the urge to be liked and accepted for who they are. This is normal. But what we need to redefine is what is normal? Every soul is special and has equally unique attributes, abilities and ways of expressing themselves creatively. There should be no judgment.

8. Identify the Judge

When judgment rears its head, we must question the one doing the judging. Tell that judge that you are in love with your differences. Viva la difference! Without freedom of expression this world would be a very dull place. Without diversity in hair colour, body shapes, talents, voices, tastes, etcetera we would be tantamount to sheep running around in a field day in and day out – baa-baa-boring!

9. Know Thyself!

Only then will you begin to discover, on the deepest level, that which you truly are and what you have accomplished – not only in this lifetime but in the countless life experiences you have had. Draw on that wealth of talents you have stored, that which you haven’t even begun to extract from your being. When you do, there is nothing anyone can say or do to you that would ever hurt you. You will be resolute as to who you are and nobody can take that away from you — unless you allow them to.

When you are living with the statement ‘be the best you can be’ and you are doing this with all your integrity and might — you have nothing to fear.

Empowerment comes from fearing no-thing and facing every day with courage and love in your heart. Strive to be and do the best you can in every situation, then you will be living in your integrity. Words or energy that does not fit with your frequency or vibration will not be allowed to penetrate your field of self. You will have become the master of your life and your reality.

Something worth looking into, wouldn’t you say?

Original article was written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for PURPOSE FAIRY

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The Dummies Guide to Awakening

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Originally posted on LIGHTWORKERS WORLD by Cherie Roe Dirksen

We are living in chaotic and tumultuous times. We have a plethora of information pumped out at us from every channel, be it media, religion, government or our social groups.

You must be this, act like that, live like us — you know the story but you are feeling overwhelmed and a definite sense of lack. That pit in your stomach that tells you something is not quite right.

The truth is that when you filter through all this garbage and sift out the gems, you are.

Hey! You left that sentence hanging — you can’t do that!

Yes, I can and I did it for a good reason. You just are — the ‘I am that I am’, nothing more, nothing less. Everything else that is external and trying to tug at your attention is a mere distraction to the call that comes from within.

That feeling of

being alone in the world
not being understood
not even understanding yourself
feeling depressed
emotional swings
always struggling to be happy
or to have enough
the need to be recognized or acknowledged
the fear of not being good enough

Do these attributes sound familiar?

Welcome to Planet Earth, the Galaxies no.1 Classroom for Misfits and Lost Souls!

What is worrisome is that the medical profession starts to label all these conditions and you are now marked as ‘chronically depressed’, ‘ADHD’ or ‘bi-polar’ (yeah, aren’t we all! This is the realm of duality), the list goes on. Then the medicating starts and what is treated is suppressed and the little emotion we have left is dulled-down to a drip.

Does Medicine Come Cheap?

It should but alas it doesn’t, especially not if you are in the business of making money from illness. If the drug corporations and governments truly had people’s welfare at heart, medicine and healing practices would not literally have to cost you and arm or a leg.

Keep ‘em Sick

The more illnesses recognized by the profession the better — the more money to be made. Have you ever looked at the contra-indications of medicine? It’s a laugh! And it’s all ‘legal’. I especially love how most medication warns that this may result in death — no shit, Sherlock!

Be careful of labels when the condition is emotional. Ply it with drugs if you want to sweep things under the rug, maybe we’ll see you back here in another life to work it out, or maybe you can deal with it today.

I’m not suggesting you throw away all your pills right now. Just look into what you really need and what can be replaced with a good eating and exercise plan (never mind a good ‘thought’ plan).

Modern medicine has given us value, a bridge from illness to wellness in many cases. However, sometimes the training wheels need to come off so we can realize our fullest potential. To continuously take drugs is not going to do your body any long-term good. Use medication sparingly, if at all.I’m not suggesting you throw away all your pills right now.

The Real Good News

The upshot of all this is that there is a non-expensive cure to any disease, mental or physical. It’s called AWARENESS.

Awareness or enlightenment doesn’t automatically conjure up a cloud for you to float on and dictate gospels to your scribe. You are still going to have the odd bout of anxiety, depression or ailment — the difference is you are going to be able to identify it immediately and start to work on the remedy instead of having a pity party and feel helpless.

You Are in the Driver’s Seat!

You are always in control of your life circumstance. You are not a human being having a spiritual experience, you are a soul having a corporeal experience. You are a master of matter, you have just forgotten.

The world is experiencing what the spiritually inclined would call a consciousness shift and what science would refer to as evolution of species.

We are being upgraded, if you like. Humanity have been sleeping sheep for centuries (no wonder we count sheep in order to fall asleep) and the time is ripe to WAKE UP! Can you hear the galaxies alarm clock going off?

The alarm has been going off for quite some time now, unfortunately some have continuously hit the snooze button. Fret not, the galaxy is readying a pale of ice-cold water and is swirling the bucket as we speak — best to wake up now rather than wake up cold, wet and in shock.

What Can I Do to Fix Myself?

Oh, thank heavens! I thought you’d never ask. The answer is simple: Remember.

To remember means to re-member — to become a part of the whole again.

More specifically, you need to remember that:

You have a spark of the divine that lives within your sacred temple you refer to as your body — treat your body with reverence and respect
You are in control of your destiny and not a victim of your fate
You came here to experience the great shift of consciousness and to be a part of it
You are not only whole but a part of the whole, see the divine en-masse — in your brothers and sisters all over the world
Fear is an illusion meant to suppress and contain
You were never meant to be contained or suppressed
You can rise above any limitations
If God is omnipresent, then you are also a part of God (this is especially for those of you who have been or are indoctrinated)
Your planet is also a part of God and she holds the cure to any ailment in lost traditions — look to plants and natural, wholesome foods to cure your sick bodies
Your thoughts and intent dictate the unfolding of your life — this is why positive thinking, prayer, meditation and affirmations are potent and can also heal many aspects of your life — body and soul
Love is the only way forward — it is going to mend the past, present and the future

Break free of your limiting beliefs and join the uprising of the soul — become a part of Awakened Humanity.

Other articles that may help:

Energy Forecast: Carry an Umbrella, it’s Raining Emotions!

Why Now is the Time to Meditate

The 11 Step Guide to Spreading Love

Where is Your Thinking Pointing You?

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Today, I want to focus your attention on your thoughts.

What is it that you are always primarily thinking about?
Are they thoughts and intentions that will lead you to where you want to be?

If not, today may very well be the day that you get that cold bucket of water on your face — now is the time for your wake up call!

Here are some articles that can get you to clear up any garbage that may be cluttering the foundations of your mind.

CAUTION: You Are Creating Your Life Through Frequency Emissions

5 Easy Steps to Meditating (No Lotus Position Required)

Everything You Do Matters (Jonathan Hilton’s Blog)

I have compiled some quotations (below) that may help you to realign your attention to where you want your thoughts to point you.

Instructions To Download the Quotations Below as Desktop Wallpaper

Click on the picture(s) below
Right-click
‘Save as’

Here are some free e-cards for you to download too (same process: click on the picture, right-click and ‘save as’)

If you like the design of these cards, they can be bought as posters via my store, just click on the pictures below to take you there (BONUS: 14.92% Off All Orders until Monday 8th October 2012! Use Code: THEOCEANBLUE at the checkout) :

Have a very Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend!

What Freddy Mercury Can Teach Us About Detachment

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Guest article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Lightworkers World

‘Nothing really matters, anyone can see…nothing really matters. Nothing really matters to me…any way the wind blows.” – Freddy Mercury (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Beautifully put!

Thank you, Freddy Mercury, for writing this poetic piece of universal truth and to Queen for adding the sound vibration and bringing this song alive through Bohemian Rhapsody.

Why am I quoting this?

Well, I was singing it the other day when it hit me, ‘this is quite spiritually profound’.

Mastery Over Matter

I have been going through a lot of detachment lately — on many different levels. From friendships to career choices, desired outcomes to ego battles and the one thing that keeps coming up for me is ‘nothing matters’.

The energy of late seems to be circling around your ability to regroup and ground yourself to what is really important.

No material thing or situation should concern you too much — the lighter the baggage on your earthly sojourn, the less for you to carry (this should be taken literally and metaphorically). The more at peace you are with the fact that you are here temporarily and no thing or person is a constant, the more likely you are to enjoy your experience.

Now, as I say in my book ‘Divine You’, I don’t mean that nothing matters in an ‘I don’t care’ sort of way. The art of detaching is just another tool to let you be in the world and not of it. Question yourself:

Can you be here, in this reality, but not be attached to it?
Can you dream up desires and outcomes for yourself and not be attached to them if they change or do not materialize as you may have wanted them to?
Can you detach yourself from drama — be it on a social network, in the office or with your family or friends?
Can you look at circumstances as if you were hovering above them? An observer, one that is removed from any outcome but still revels in the joys and intrigue of the world.
Can you be someone that cares and loves everyone and everything but could leave this plane of existence tomorrow?
Are you afraid of death? Or have you made peace with your multi-dimensional, infinite existence?

Who are You?

This is the I AM THAT I AM that people talk about. Being 100% satisfied with where you are and who you are, without needing anyone or anything outside of yourself for gratification.

Loving enough to know when to say nothing, or do nothing, to help a loved one. When you are able to detach from drama, you will show others that it can be done. Peace is achievable — one soul at a time.

Do You Find it Difficult to Detach?

Detachment is not hard or cold. It is your ability to love enough to leave a bit of space — some room for peace and stillness where there may be none. You will be that still presence that can ground those around you into the present moment.

What is blocking your ability to let go?

Your mind or ego? Do you perhaps get a kick out of drama? Can you admit to that?
Your ‘worries’? Do you think that to detach would leave you looking like you don’t care?

Remember that to detach is a loving act. If you stress or worry about what other people will think of you for detaching or not getting involved in drama, then you need to work on why their opinions matter. If they are close to you, either friends or family, you can still let them know you care but are not going to interfere with their lives.

If there is something tangible you can do to help, then by all means do but remain that still presence and have an awareness of your emotional body. If you feel like you are being drained or getting sucked back into 3D drama, then you need to exercise detachment again (for further reading about detaching out of love or fear, click here: http://cherieroedirksen.com/2012/04/12/are-you-clinging-by-your-finger-nails/).

Let’s Wrap This Up

When you realize that no-thing really matters, you can bend like a reed in the wind and go any way the wind blows.You remain whole and unfaltering, present and aware — you are impartial and just. This is true detachment.

Thank you, Queen.

Other articles you may enjoy:

8 Life Strategies That Playing Chess Has Taught Me

Is Social Networking Stifling Your Creative Juices?

The Fine Balancing Art of Yin and Yang

Finding Humility Through Wisdom

Live Like You Mean It — Live With Conviction!

5 Easy Steps to Meditating (No Lotus Position Required)

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Why Do You Need to Meditate?

The most important reason why people have been practicing meditation since time immemorial is that it swiftly brings you into alignment with your core being. This is where you will find balance and true peace.

In our modern-day culture, however, meditation is most commonly practiced to alleviate stress.

Both reasons are as good as any to start practicing this amazing art that is meditation. If you do already meditate — good on you. If you are thinking about it — now is the time!

What Exactly is Meditation?

Let’s cut past any preconceived notions about meditation. It does not require that you:

Sit in any position that you find uncomfortable
Need to chant or repeat a mantra
Need training or classes
Need to belong to a specific religion or faith

These things are optional and entirely up to the individual. The most important thing about meditation is…

The art of being still and quieting your mind

It is the ability to bridge the gap between the thinker and the thought-less. You are offering your self a chance to still the mind-chatter (you know, that continuous loop of ‘what ifs‘ and ‘don’t mind if I do’s’). I like to refer to this is mind-static — just like the white noise you see on a TV screen when there is a disturbance with the reception. Our minds can be on a continuous buzz, enough to drive us to the brink of insanity.

This is where meditation will help you to de-clutter your thought processes and align you to your higher purpose through contact with your higher self.

Okay, Sounds Good but How do I go About This?

Simple. All you need to do is:

Concentrate on your breath — this easy step allows you to be more present and centered in your body. It also diverts your attention from thinking to breathing. If you like, use a mantra — this is a common tool used to stop any unwanted thoughts from creeping in.
Close your eyes and relax your body — Feel and imagine the stress draining away as you begin to let your vitality blossom.
Feel the tingle — acknowledge the prana or life force that is embodied in every single cell. This is sometimes felt as a tingling sensation in the body. Starting from your feet upwards, expand on that tingling sensation. This amplifies the life-force in your body. Notice how you feel when you do this. Are you feeling alive and vibrant? Are you relaxed and peaceful?
Opening your crown chakra — breathe in and imagine a white light streaming in through the top of your head (crown chakra) and permeating your entire body.
Relax — the above are only steps to get you into the present moment. When you feel relaxed and peaceful, just be with that feeling for as long as you can. You are now meditating!

You can start with just 5 minutes of still, quiet breathing a day and then gradually work your way up to 10-20 minutes at a time.

You do not have to stick to any method to get you to your place of inner peace, just do what works for you. The main point of meditation is to relax and take a break from the constant mind-chatter.

Try to practice this at least 1-2 times a day.

What are the Benefits?

Meditation gives you the space to relax your body and to recoup your mind
It is proven to reduce stress
It is a gateway to discovering your authentic self

And remember:

“Thoughts create everything ~ have clarity of thought and you can achieve anything…”

This was a guest article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Lightworkers World

9 Great Reasons for Getting Creative (No Artistic Experience Needed)

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Why Should I Bother with Creativity?

I’m going to answer that question with another question. What better way to gift yourself than to spend some quality time expressing your inner feelings and desires?

Creativity is for everyone, not just arts and crafters. Look at how the creativity in others touches your own life.

Let Me Paint a Colorless Picture

Can you envision our world without imagination? Try to visualize Vincent Van Gogh deciding he was no good at painting and never picking up a paintbrush to allow his perspective of beauty and vibrant energy to spring onto a canvas.

Or, how about the aural delights of a classical composer like Bach lacking the confidence to grace our ears with his heart-wrenching and evocative rendition of “Air on a G String?”

The list could go on as we venture into the world of artistic genius and magnificence, but I’m sure you get the dreary portrayal of what our lives would be like if we lacked creativity or the drive to be inventive.

But I Am Not an Artist!

Everybody has a spark of creativity within—you don’t have to be a master artist or musician to be able to express yourself.

Creativity can emerge through anyone, from playwrights, chefs, teachers, computer programmers, healers, writers, and homemakers to artisans, designers, gardeners, and street sweepers. All of these people can, and in many cases do, exercise creative flow with every task they carry out, regardless of their so-called “profession.”

I am, primarily, a writer, artist, and musician, but I also try to express my creativity in other forms. This can be anything from experimental cooking to how I decide to dress myself each day—each look and meal is never quite the same because I’m never quite the same. I go according to how I feel. This is what adds spice to your life!

I’ve used myself as an example to demonstrate all the vast corners that creativity can be lurking in. It’s your job to show it the light of day in as many avenues of your life as you can. This is not something that you should be thinking of doing only when you retire! The time is now.

“When you choose a job you love, you will never have to work a day in your life.”
Confucius

Inadvertently Paying It Forward

When you find that one thing (or several things) that allows you to express your unique self, it will be felt by those around you. You may even inspire them to rekindle a past passion that they have shelved or invoke them to try something new to bring out their resourcefulness.

Anyone can radiate creativity and beauty into their surroundings; it is how you utilize your talents, not what your job is, that truly defines who you are.

Why Is Creative Expression Important for Me?

When you give yourself time out to practice and explore your ingenuity, you are gifting yourself with:

Playfulness—You honor yourself when you allow time to fool around and to tap into that inner child that so many of us have forgotten about.
Imagination—Drawing from the resources of the right hemisphere of the brain, which is our supply of creative juice, you create a much needed balance and vacation from the often-dominate, linear thinking left hemisphere of your brain.
Relaxation—Make time to unwind and craft that creative time into a peaceful, soothing scene of tranquility—an escape from the noise and looped mind-chatter of the daily grind.
Space—Give yourself that much needed freedom to unreservedly express how you are feeling.

How Will This Ultimately Benefit Me?

Expressing your creative sparkle is priceless, but just in case you need more convincing, here are some key factors outlining the benefits of allowing yourself the time and space for artistic endeavor:

De-stressing—When you are in the zone, it is tantamount to meditating, where all logical and worrisome thoughts cease and you are taken over by the imaginative current, which will reduce your stress levels dramatically.
Calming—When you are in this state of mindlessly enjoying yourself, you will feel an instantaneous calm come over you.
Personal Fulfillment—The feeling of birthing something beautiful into this world is incalculable, and you feel that sense of achievement and liveliness that creation brings with it.
Inner Reflection—Just like the de-stressing point above, when you are in this meditative state, it gives you the time to do a bit of introspection. You can realign yourself with your goals and keep in touch with the core of your self.
Enjoyment—When you tickle the inner child that bursts to express joy and ingenuity, you will find that the tasks you do that invoke such inventiveness also bring elation. Connecting with your creativity will connect you with your joy.

Your Call to Action

Try creating a tranquil, serene place where you can retreat when you feel like you are in the mood for a bit of creativity. Mark it off as your special creative zone.

If you are finding it difficult to tap into your source of imagination and originality, I always find it extremely helpful to take a walk in nature or to practice daily meditation (you know, that “thing” where you are alone and quiet with no interruptions?). When you get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, you gain a certain clarity that can only be found when there is peace and quiet.

Free up some space this evening to tap into the inner child that just wants to finger paint and get mucky, pick up that pen and write that epic you’ve always dreamed about, cut out colorful pictures and make a collage, take those first steps to learning that instrument that has been sitting in your closet for ten years, or just do some mindless doodling—whatever tickles your creative genius buds to blossom. Sometimes, just giving the intent to find your creative spark is all that is needed to get the ball rolling.

So get out there and give your creative juices a squeeze and bring a little zest into your life!

This was a guest article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen, originally posted on Positively Positive 18th September 2012

7 Ways to Tame the Ego and Become Instantly Likeable

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

“If you want to reach a state of bliss, then go beyond your ego and the
internal dialogue. Make a decision to relinquish the need to control, the need
to be approved, and the need to judge.” ~ Deepak Chopra

What is the Ego?

I remember having a conversation with someone once, we were talking about Eckhart Tolle and the ego identification. The lady I was talking to piped up and said, ‘well, I don’t have an ego’.

“Do you get that an ego is the identification you have with your self and who you are, what you do and how others perceive you?”

Let me make this perfectly clear: Everybody has an ego! Here is the dictionary definition of this fruity little word:

e·go -

the “I” or self of any person; a person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought.
the part of you that reacts to the outside world and thus mediates between the primitive drives of the id and the demands of the social and physical environment.
egotism; conceit; self-importance.
self-esteem or self-image; feelings.
the enduring and conscious element that knows experience.

Aligning with Your Awareness of Ego

Are you a prancing show-pony or a shrinking violet? Either one has an imbalanced sense of self.

Now that we have cleared up the myth of the ego being only a no. 3 definition of the strutting peacock itching to get recognition and praise, we can move on to ways of coping with your ego.

“Ego is the biggest enemy of humans” ~ Rig Veda

Do you get that an ego is the identification you have with your self and who you are, what you do and how others perceive you?

So even someone who is timid and an introvert has a problem with ego identification. It is just in reverse but the principle remains. When you feel yourself either inferior or superior to others — you have ego issues.

Disidentifying With the Ego

The ego is an inseparable part of you, it is not the enemy. It is how you let your ego use you that can be detrimental to the quality of your life.

“Masters know when to speak, when to be silent and when their words will be like farting against thunder.”

I am, in no way, saying that the ego needs suppression or containment, just proper management and understanding — it’s as simple as that. Your ego identification is an integral part of you, and like the universal concept that we are both yin and yang/light and dark, you need it. You are a unique individual with irrevocable personality traits in your toolkit — this is the part of ego that can be embraced. The key is to see this beautiful quality in every other soul.

Here is the pitfall of the ego — it wants to be separate from the whole, better than the rest and put itself somewhere untouchable. This is the downfall of our current society, it is a separatist theory that pits people against each other and keeps them in an ‘us against them’ mental construct.

This is the dangerous element of the ego — the total takeover and manipulation of the authentic self. Unfortunately, most of our worlds cultures are primarily caught up in the subconscious identification of the ego.

So how can you disconnect and tame your ego?

Let’s Spring Clean this Concept

There are 7 fundamental principles to keeping your ego in check. Let’s explore them now:

Water Off a Ducks Back — do not take things personally. When you do, you are subconsciously (or consciously) in agreement with whatever you have taken offense at. This can leave you in constant need for validation from external sources which is the need of the ego. Be at peace with what other people think of you, even if it is not congruent with how you see yourself. You are never going to have universal appeal, there will always be someone out there who doesn’t like you — get over it now and save yourself any future distress. Acceptance of what is is key. For more about this in-depth trait, click here: Do You Take Things Personally?
Think Before You Speak — honour the power of your words and you will honour not only others but your sense of self. Choose your words wisely. You will be in control instead of having a hurtful motor-mouth. People will pick up on this and return it in kind. Practicing the integrity of your words will result in a better quality of life for yourself and those with whom you interact.
Hold Your Tongue — the ego loves to make itself right. A common trap to fall into is trying to make someone else see that you are right. Really? Is it that important for you to force someone to see life through your eyes and perceptions? No, that is your ego trying to justify itself. Masters know when to speak, when to be silent and when their words will be like farting against thunder. Control over your mouth is like having control over your sphincter muscle at a dinner party. Exercise it and you will notice how easy it becomes to have total control of outbursts or having to explain yourself constantly.
Don’t Buy into the Labels — get in touch with who you really are and reconnect to your source or core being. Look past the labels and identifications that society plasters you with. You are not your profession, you are not the role you play in your family or community. You are a special individual spark of the Divine that is nameless and authentic. Get to grips with that through meditation (click here for an article about 5 Easy Steps to Meditating).
Quit Comparisons — learn to be comfortable in your own skin. There is no-one in the world like you — from your individual fingerprints to all the exclusive experiences your soul has accumulated. Comparing yourself to others is another trick of the ego — don’t fall for it. Fall in love with yourself (read an article about this HERE).
Count Your Blessings — instead of complaining about all the things that are wrong with your physical appearance and situation, try to see all the positive aspects of your life and body.
See Divinity En-Masse — don’t try to elevate yourself above or bury yourself below others. You are part of a collective consciousness of Divine souls here on Earth. See the divinity in yourself and see it in others too. The ego won’t be able to do this. If you are finding resistance, you need to go into why you can’t accept that your fellow human beings are just as much a part of God as you are. To see the internal beauty in another will put you on a level playing field instead of comparing yourself and others and passing dangerous judgments.

Why Will This Guarantee My Success?

When you tame the ego, you are paving the way for smooth and easy life flow. You relinquish judgments, comparisons and the need to be or feel superior. This is a frequency that you will project and I guarantee that people will be attracted to you. People standing in their truth and integrity are like moths to a flame — be it in your personal or professional life.

Your ego won’t go away but you can have control over it instead of it running amuck with you.

When you do have control, you will never feel the need for superiority nor inferiority to any one else. You simply are — a state of grace, least resistance and an inner knowing of peace. Now isn’t that something worth going after?

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1. Thoughts Create Things

2. You Can Do or Be Anything

3. You Always have a Choice

4. To Forgive is Divine

5. Taking Things Personally is Disempowering

6. Conforming is Boring

7. Being Weird is just so Damn Cool

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Adrift in a Sea of Bad News?

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1. Draw up a Plan

2. Don’t Overload

3. Map it with Fun

4. Feel It to Manifest It

5. Release the Inner Child

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The Burning Question

Change is the Only Constant

From the Horses Mouth

Follow those Synchronous Markers

But I Need to Make Money

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