Did You Know You Could Be Living in Your Shadow?

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

In a follow-up to last weeks blog, ‘Only 50 Shades of Grey — What Happened to the Rest?‘, I’m going to be discussing the darker side of duality — the Shadow Self.

What is the Shadow Self?

“The master knows it is foolish to try to conceal any part of the self.”

It is that part of you that you reject, feel ashamed of, feel guilt over and suppress so that you can ‘fit in’ with what is acceptable in society.

Where Does it Start?

It can have it’s roots anywhere but, in most cases, it starts when we are young, vulnerable and impressionable.

Children want to be loved and to feel like they belong. We do something as an innocent reaction and we are reprimanded for it (usually by an adult who has accepted the ‘terms and conditions’ of society).

This rejection makes us feel like we’ve done something ‘bad’ and we may potentially lose that love we so crave.

We start to fudge over this ‘problem’ within us with a mask — we disguise this aspect of ourselves so we can still receive that love and attention.

Trouble is, it has a way of biting you in the backside if you don’t acknowledge it.

A simple example may be that as a child you were curious about your body and may have been caught exploring yourself. Your mother walked in and immediately shouted at you explaining that you shouldn’t do that because it’s ‘dirty’. You felt ashamed.

She was reacting out of fear and you had no idea what you had done wrong, only that touching your private parts was just not acceptable.

Who was right? Who was wrong?

“…what you judge in another is part of that shadow within your self. The finger-pointing has three fingers pointing back at the pointee!”

We can understand why the mother felt the need to reprimand as this is not something one does in public (not usually) or maybe she felt in order to shame her daughter/son she may avoid the child having ‘loose’ morals. There could be 100 different reasons for the reaction.

The child has actually done something perfectly innocent and now may carry a guilt around sexual promiscuity that could lead to all sorts of complications as an adult.

This is an example of the ‘shadow’. If you don’t learn to control the shadow, the shadow will control you.

Our Reality of Duality

Last week I discussed the balancing of the Yin/Yang energies — the merging of the feminine and masculine aspects. This week, I’ll be unveiling the light and dark energy we possess.

We live in a reality of opposites where we experience joy and sadness, love and hate, jealousy and gratitude, light and dark, male and female, etc. We need to have contrasting encounters in order to evaluate what we do want to experience.

We also happen to have been birthed into a society that dictates what normal and what abnormal is.

Here is where things start to get complicated.

Shining a Light on Right and Wrong

“…one has to acknowledge and accept the dark half to become whole.”

Our Akash (spirit/soul) is full to brimming with experiential existence and what comes with the vast spectrum of many lives comes many actions — good and bad.

I, personally, believe that we have been both sinner and saint.

It is easy to cast judgment on others because we feel righteous — but how virtuous can we truly be? Unless, of course, you believe that this is the only life you have lived.

The thing with judgment is that good old smoky mirror analogy (read more about that here) — what you judge in another is part of that shadow within your self. The finger-pointing has three fingers pointing back at the pointee!

Identifying the Shadow

A person standing in the light has a shadow. A person standing in the dark has none. What does this mean? Even the best of us have shadows.

Again, as in balancing the male and female attributes of the self, one has to acknowledge and accept the dark half to become whole.

Everyone’s dark side will be as unique as your fingerprints but we all suffer with the constant suppression of the ‘undesirable’ parts of our nature. Those parts that just don’t conform to society’s standards.

A blazing example would be that of the church — if you’re gay, you’re a sinner. Funny how the church harbours so many pedophiles. Well, it’s not really that bizarre as this is an example of a collective shadow at work

When you suppress that which you are ashamed of, you are trying to conceal your very nature. This nature will, in time, always pop up to reveal itself when you least want it to.

That’s why you hear of evangelists lecturing about righteousness and then sleeping with prostitutes or charity workers not being able to make time for their own families — you get the picture.

What Can You Do About the Shadow? Diffusing the Dynamite!

Make no mistake, I know what you’re thinking and I’m not suggesting you act on your desires. This is about how to deal with them effectively so they don’t blow up and destroy your life.

Here’s what you CAN do:

Acknowledge — Recognize your deepest, inner-most feelings — no matter how uncomfortable they make you feel.
Talk — The best way to relieve yourself of something that worries you about your personality or fetish is to be verbal about it. If you have no-one to share such intimate details with, then write it out on paper. Just get it out of your system. Look at it — the first step to dealing with a problem is giving it acknowledgment.
Accept — Give your acceptance to your desires. This doesn’t mean you give permission to act on them. You are giving yourself permission to feel them and to deal with them in whatever way you see fit. This means that you can shine a light on them instead of keeping them buried in the darkest corners of your soul.
Peace — Be at peace with the fact that you are a soul of experience and that you embody ALL experience which makes you whole not broken. You are okay with the idea that you have a darker more diabolical nature and you agree that this is a part of your 3D experience.

You no longer hide your secrets or feel guilty or embarrassed about how you feel — you bare your truth. You are not a flawed person, you are a human being and what comes with that package is that you are dichotomous in nature.

The master, however, knows how to control the dark side. How to offer it love and light instead of repressing and shoving it under the bed in a chained trunk. Only the fool thinks he can bury the truth.

The master knows it is foolish to try to conceal any part of the self.

What NOT to do:

Hide — Don’t try to conceal what you know to be a true part of your self. This will cause you pain — mental, emotional and physical (as things tend to always manifest on a physical level when suppressed as dis-ease).
Feel Shame — Don’t feel that you are abnormal or are as guilty as sin for thinking or feeling a certain way. Only acceptance can bring you peace. Rather try understand why you are feeling the urges than punish yourself continuously with shame.
Act — There is a reason why society does not accept certain things as normal and that is because they may infringe on that one irrevocable law: “Do what you like so long as you hurt no-one.” Your discernment is vital. Some of the more wicked things we ‘want’ to play out are only thoughts that we have suppressed and when delved into and clarified may lead us to void the initial desire. That’s why talking about it may help.

You’ll find when you do accept who you are, you are more likely to accept others too with a sense of compassion, empathy and understanding instead of judgment.

Embrace your entire self and marry that yin and yang aspect. You are a worthy soul and you are loved — now your job is to believe that!

I want to IMPLORE you to watch this documentary about the shadow self (with Deepak Chopra and Debbie Ford) — it is just over an hour but it will TRANSFORM your LIFE! I hope that every human being gets the chance to watch this.

What are your thoughts on the shadow self?
Did this video help you to understand your life better?
Would you recommend this video?

Other articles you may enjoy:

The Insidious Rape of Mankind and the Imminent Solution

Only 50 Shades of Grey — What Happened to the Rest?

How to Add Spectacular Drama to Your Life!

How to Blow Off Steam with Impeccability

5 Fundamental Steps to a Thriving Relationship

What is Love?

Books you may enjoy by this author:

A Cool New Angle at Inspiring Kids to Read — See How This Guy is Revamping Reviews

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

An Unusual Review of ‘The Hobbit’ Book

My nephew introduced me to Thug Notes on YouTube the other day — I was so impressed I almost leapt out of my skin with excitement!

My first impression was…‘is this for real?’

Here’s this ‘gangsta-type-dude’ sitting in an armchair, kitted out in his bling with a street-wise attitude, discussing some hard-core literature — how could this be right?

Gobsmacking Surprises Wrapped in Deceiving Appearances

Well, as the saying goes: Don’t judge a book by its cover!

This guy not only gives one of the most amusing reviews of J.R.R. Tolkien’s, ‘The Hobbit’, that I have ever heard but he delivers it to the youth in a language that they understand.

Hope for the New Generation?

In his ‘analysis’ he starts to rip into the moral implications of the story with some startling and succinct accuracy.

He discusses — in his own hilarious lingo — the destructive nature of greed, the commendable courage of Bilbo and the deadly implications of having friend turn on friend.

I think that this kind of ingenious ‘thinking out of the box’ — to penetrate the youth on a subliminal level — is just astounding.

You can watch the video clip below and I do recommend that you stay with it for the full 4:47 minutes to absorb its entire value. It may seem a bit hard and heavy in the beginning but it’s going to blow your socks off with the ending (Hint: It’s got to do with human greed and self-destruction)!

Here’s the Thug Notes review for The Hobbit — enjoy!:

What did you think of this review and the whole Thug Notes concept?
Do you know of other people who are inspiring the youth to read or become more morally connected to each other? If so, please share in the comments below.

He also has a lot more other book reviews out on YouTube but I haven’t had a chance to watch them yet but I most definitely intend to!

How many ‘likes’ can this guy get? I think he is fantastic!

Other articles you may enjoy:

How to Add Spectacular Drama to Your Life!

How J.K.Rowling Helped Inspire My Books

7 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was a Teenager

12 Things Successful People Do To Excel

Books you may enjoy by this author:

Only 50 Shades of Grey — What Happened to the Rest?

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Despicable Me

Not only have I not (double negative, I know) read the sizzling book but I also have no intention of playing in the shadows of this steamy novel — pretty much based on the fact that all I know about it is its reputation for sexual explicitness.

What I do intend to do in this article is to whip out any double-entendre I can think of pertaining to sex, genitals or erotica.

This will be in an attempt to lure you into another grey area (of which who knows how many shades may present themselves) — the balancing of the sexes (an exploration of the ‘shadow-self’ will follow shortly in a blog post near you — so do remember to bookmark this page or ‘follow the blog’ to get updates).

Bottoms Up and Off We Blow!

It sickens me to my core when writers play on sensationalizing filth, which is why I’m in constant conflict with myself and my questionable morals.

Enough said, let’s soldier on in this minefield of masculine/feminine, light/dark, good/bad…yin to my yang.

We need to put on our ‘big-girls panties’ or our ‘big-boys jocks’ now as we undress (oh stop!) the issue of balancing sexual energy. And do get your head out of the gutter — this kind of sexual energy is what the universe is made of — we’re not just talking about the old ‘heave-ho!’.

“There is a deep misconception about the roles of masculine and feminine energy in the world right now, and it has been there for quite a long time. The belief is that masculine energy is a dominant energy, while feminine energy is a submissive energy. This war between the masculine and the feminine has caused many women to forsake their femininity in an attempt at equality, and many men to forsake their masculine energy out of guilt or embarrassment.” — Tuning Masculine & Feminine Energy

Sex and the Universe

Sexual energy is a magical power that each of us possess (or, in some cases, may possess us). We need to master this cosmic force in order to bring a healthy balance to our lives.

The fundamental principle is to recognize that we all, regardless of our apparent sex, are made up of both masculine and feminine energies. We sometimes only suppress one or the other to ‘fit into’ our society, or what is deemed to be normal in behaviour of our relevant genital status.

Don’t Confuse Sex with Sexual

Sex is, of course, great for procreation and extra-mural activities but it is not all about what happens in the bedroom (or behind the bicycle shed). Shelve those preconceived indoctrinated or hippy notions about what the word ‘sex’ means. That is for another blog, another day (maybe even on another site).

This blog is not going to address any kind of kinky, tantric or middle-of-the-road hokey pokey debauchery.

This is not about the ‘act’ it is about the ‘energy’.

The 6 Signs of Sexuality

Sexual energy exists on all levels — it is fundamental to creation on every level. It is dynamic, it is the flow, it is what attracts or repels us in any situation (you are reading and emitting this type of ‘sexual energy’ all the time – consciously or unconsciously).

Here is a list of 6 common traits of the masculine energy — do any of these resonate with you (regardless of your sex)?:

Security/safety — a ‘container’ energy
Strong — a sense of standing firm and being a protector
Resolute — a decisive energy
Freedom — the masculine energy wants to be the container not the contained
Logical — always trying to find the solution
Action — impulsive and daring — ‘leap before you look’

Here is a list of feminine energy traits — do you recognize any of these in yourself (again, regardless of what sex you are):

Surrender — not to be mistaken with submissiveness but rather a sense of wanting to be held by that comforting peaceful masculine container energy
Sensitive — paying fine attention to feelings and emotions
Gentle — feminine energy seeks to allow for smooth flow and the path of least resistance
Bonding — the act of bringing together and unifying
Creative — the need to give birth to creation be it in form, thought or deed
Pensive — calculating and cautious — ‘look before you leap’

There is no right or wrong list as you can see — all the points listed above are highly commendable and desirable. The exercise of outlining these different attributes is to marry the two — to ‘meet in the middle’ or to have a bit of both.

When you can embody these traits and draw upon them when you need to in any given situation, you become a very powerful human being.

It is of utmost benefit to be a bit of both. The union of divine masculine and feminine gives us a chance to ‘see’ through the eyes of the other sex and to gain a deeper understanding of our dichotomous nature.

To state the bleeding obvious: Without men there would be no women, without women there would be no men. Let’s face it, we need each other to make it work.

The Benefits of Empathic Behaviour

Firstly, the union of the sexes would probably bring about world peace. A balanced human being would have no need for supremacy — the need for domination is the soul being strangled by the needs of the ego.

Secondly, there will be no more ‘war of the sexes’ — I mean, that’s so last century already! Seriously, when we figure out that we encapsulate both male and female energies, we can finally start to move on.

Not only will this mean that you’ll see more women belching in public whilst their partner blubs over the latest rom-com but the benefits of the union will also include:

Emotional Freedom — you depend on yourself for fulfillment but enjoy the company of others. You are open and honest with the ones you love and are able to express yourself without fear of judgment.
Empathy and Vision — the ability to see things from the others point of view and thus come to an agreeable solution instead of a pissing contest. The need to be right is overtaken by the need to be careful.
Personal and Collective Power — owning who you are, what you are, how you feel and how you choose to express yourself and allowing others to do the same in a manner that doesn’t infringe on anybody’s rights. You flow with life and allow instead of resist.
Wisdom in Equality — realizing that your Yin/Yang energy is reflected in every other soul and to disrespect another is to disrespect yourself. You are free to contain that compulsive judgment.
Creative Action — you embrace creative thinking and act upon ideas that encourage, uplift, benefit or enlighten.
Ownership — you are a part of the bigger picture and not just a small and inconsequential ant (not that I think ants are inconsequential, merely that they paint a good metaphoric picture) mulling about the face of the Earth. Your resoluteness will encourage others to seek out their own power and pass it forward.
No More Rats Arses — you no longer give a monkeys bum about what other people think of you because when you embody the union of traits, you are SOVEREIGN. This is not, in any way, to be associated with ego — it is a state of wholeness within your being. You are embracing your divinity and acknowledging it in others.

If I have left anything out on this list, please do leave your comments in the allocated box below. I would love to get your take or experience on this saucy topic. Knowledge shared is wisdom gained.

Inequality Begins with ‘I’ and Ends with ‘Why?’

To look down upon, to belittle or to mistreat someone because of their sex (and this works with any other human allocation be it religion, culture, skin colour, sexual preference, etc) is an indication that you are not whole.

When you insult or degrade another, you insult and degrade yourself.

A man or (wo)man who is complete, is one who does not need to undermine any other. To do so is a public display of your own inadequacy.

Banging On and On

Right, you lot! Time to zip it up — this subject has been milked. I hope all this sexuality talk hasn’t left you high and dry (oh God, please! No more innuendo!!!)…until the next blog where we will be poking about the shadows of our murky selves and trying to embrace what we find.

Goodness knows what we’ll dredge up, so don’t forget the latex gloves next week!

Other articles you may enjoy:

The Insidious Rape of Mankind and the Imminent Solution

The Shocking Truth About Gender Equality

The Fine Balancing Art of Yin and Yang

Painting Pink Floyd — Soldiering Through the Minefield of Emotion

What is Love?

Books you may enjoy by this author:

Famous Authors That Inspired Me to Write

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

A Tale of Two Settee’s

My neighbour (and close friend) and I were discussing momentous children’s books on my couch the other day and the rich and bountiful impact such incredible literature has on our lives.

“After I’ve been dead five years, no one will read anything I’ve written.” — C.S. Lewis

She is reading the Narnia series to her daughter at the moment. I also grew up with the magic of C.S. Lewis’s profound wardrobe world. And, let’s face it, what woman (or man, for that instance) hasn’t fallen in love with James McAvoy in his role as Mr Tumlis? Yum yum.

Lions, Hobbits, Pooh, Hallucinagenic Mushrooms, Muggles and Metaphors

“To me [the religious parallels have] always been obvious. But I never wanted to talk too openly about it because I thought it might show people who just wanted the story where we were going.” — J.K. Rowling on her Harry Potter Book Series

But on a serious note, there are tons of books, aimed at both children and adults, that are spiritually profound. Have you noticed the incredible metaphors woven into these tales of good and evil, morality, justice, love, compassion and comradeship in the following books?

Lord of the Rings Trilogy (or any other book, for that matter, by J.R.R. Tolkien)
The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis)
Harry Potter Series (J.K.Rowling)
Alice in Wonderland/Alice Through the Looking Glass (Lewis Carroll)
Winnie-the-Pooh (The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne has sparked off other books such as the ‘Tao of Pooh’ and the ‘Te of Piglet’ by Benjamin Hoff to ‘Positively Pooh (Timeless Wisdom from Pooh)’ — all of which liken these characters to Taoism and the Tao Te-Ching)
Dr Seus and his plethora of thought-provoking, humourous teachings that inspire sound and solid moral footing

Some Interesting Facts and Religious Tones

J.R.R. Tolkien was born in South Africa (Bloemfontein) in 1892. He was raised a Roman Catholic but had a spiritual vision beyond the confines of Christian religion.
C.S. Lewis had strange dreams of lions and pictures in his head of a faun carrying parcels before he wrote The Chronicles of Narnia.
J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were friends.
Lewis Carroll was a deeply spiritual man. At the time of his passing, Carroll was working on an essay applying his skills in logic to proving that a benevolent God would not allow eternal damnation to exist.
When he was known simply as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Pope condemned J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, writing that their “subtle seductions, which act unnoticed … deeply distort Christianity in the soul before it can grow properly” (and, as most of us know, if the Pope condemns it, it must be good!). Rowling said she’s proud to be on numerous banned-book lists. She said, “I go to church myself. I don’t take any responsibility for the lunatic fringes of my own religion.”

Falling For Potter

I have to admit that, although many spiritual writers and books helped me along my path, I also drew much information and wisdom from the Harry Potter Book Series.

J.K. Rowling has an incredible knowledge of all things spiritual, legendary, astrological and magical.

Her wisdom as carried out through the characters in her books, never fails to bring me to my knees.

She is much more than an English Billionairess who writes children’s novels — no, she is a bloody genius!

Cover Up Those Covers or Go Under Cover!

When the Potter books were first released, so many adults were reading them that the publishers had to bring out an ‘adult’ cover for these more mature and somewhat embarassed readers to disguise the fact that they were immersed in children’s literature.

I couldn’t have given a rat’s arse about that as I read the ‘kiddies’ version as blatantly and publicly as I could. I loved the fact that they were being condemned and ‘black-listed’ around the globe — this usually means that they’ll spread like wild-fire and they most certainly did.

Now children and adults all over the world have been exposed to the wonders of magic, spirit, love, compassion, astrology, herbology, courage, morality, wisdom and a plethora of other esoteric teachings — whether they know it or not!

Drawing on Endearing Dumbledore

There are so many terrific words of sheer enlightenment that sprout from the Headmaster character, Dumbledore in the Potter Series. I often find myself in times of trouble and it is not Mother Mary who comes to me it is Albus Dumbledore — speaking his words of wisdom.

“As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all – the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things which are worst for them.” — Dumbledore (Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling)

My favourite one being (when I am receiving some ‘not so nice’ mail/comments), “If you are holding out for universal popularity, I’m afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time.” It always makes me laugh and then I don’t take myself or what other people think of me so seriously.

Thank you J.K. for taking that first step, even if it was writing on serviettes! You’ve done the world a huge service. And to all the other magnificent authors — you are legend!

Believing in a New Perspective

It doesn’t matter what book or doctrine you read that helps you to find Source (‘God’) — just as long as you get there in the end!

Finding your Truth — a belief or idea that resonates with your soul — is unique to every individual. Be happy for others who find their divinity in their own way and know that it is appropriate even if it is not the way you have found it.

What books/movies/TV series have moved you spiritually? Please share your favourites with me!

You may also enjoy these articles:

How Trust Can Bring You Abundance

Only 50 Shades of Grey — What Happened to the Rest?

How to Add Spectacular Drama to Your Life!

What a Thug Can Teach You About Love and Courage

Books you may enjoy by this author:

How to Blow Off Steam with Impeccability

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Are You Speaking Badly About Someone or Merely Speaking the Truth?

I pray on the principle that wine knocks the cork out of a bottle. There is an inward fermentation, and there must be a vent. ~Henry Ward Beecher

Here’s a difficult topic — are you a gossiping Gerty or is your mouth sealed so tight, you’ve become a clam?

This has been a hot topic in my circle of friends lately as we are all trying to remain in our integrity and avoid that dastardly, lower vibrational activity that is gossip.

Have you noticed that when you are either amongst people whose mouths are flapping off about someone else that you feel quite uncomfortable — like a squirmy little worm who needs to wiggle away to find richer soil?

Maybe it’s you who has started yapping about someone else and you later feel incredible guilt about this — you bad dog, you!

I’m sure that most of us have been guilty of the odd gossip at some stage in our lives but what is the difference between talking behind someone’s back and actually venting about a situation?

Calm Dialogue versus Dramatization

Sometimes two friends get talking and the next thing you are venting about someone who is causing some irritation or discomfort in your life. You feel that the kettle is boiling and a little steam needs to be let out. It’s healthier to blow off a bit of steam than it is to wait until you explode!

Now, how do you do this without gossiping?

Let’s clear this up with an example of a dialogue:

You: My sister is really irritating me lately. She just keeps on getting into trouble and I have to bail her out all the time. I’ve had enough.

Your friend: Maybe you need to give her a little bit of space so she can work things out on her own.

You: Yes, it will be difficult but you’re right. Helping her out every time she’s in a mess is actually disempowering her and frustrating me. She needs to face the consequences of her choices.

Your friend: Exactly. Make sure she knows you love her and the reasons that you are detaching and see how it goes from there.

Okay, now I know that this scenario is like the most ideal dialogue ever and in real life it’s going to sound a teensy-weensy bit different (especially if you are really pee’d off) but you get the gist of it, right?

This is an example of allowing yourself to vent or talk about something/someone that is on your mind in a way that is in your integrity (i.e. the truth of the situation) and is done in a tactful manner.

Let’s take a look at the flip side of the coin:

You: My sister is such a mean person. I can’t handle her rubbish anymore. She needs to just get out of my life for good!

Your friend: I know! I’ve never really liked her. She is such a leach and you have done so much for her.

You: Tell me about it! And what do I get in return? All her grief and worries!

Your friend: I’m going to give her a piece of my mind when I see her again.

I’m going to stop there because I can carry on for hours (*grin*). It’s like the script from ‘Days of our Lives’. Drama, drama and a little more drama!

Here is a prime example of gossip. Can you notice the difference?

The latter dialogue is not coming from a place of integrity, it is coming from your ego that is offended and taking things personally. There is no form of love in this rant.

Seek Out Compassion and Understanding and Venom Dissolves

Even though the person in question might be doing things to you that are less than loving, it doesn’t require for you to fight fire with fire. The best thing you can do is to detach with love and find the compassion for that person.

Why are they hurting?

No-one who is in alignment with their core will find the need to cause you grief ergo they must be in pain. You don’t need to heal their pain, only they can do that. But you can exercise compassion and love them from afar.

Help if you can and it isn’t going to cause your energy to be drained.

We must learn how to explode! Any disease is healthier than the one provoked by a hoarded rage. ~Emil Cioran

So the upshot is to recognize the need to get something off your chest and to act it out in your integrity without giving into the ego and dramatizing the situation. Tell it like it is and give yourself that much-needed space and time to open up and vent instead of bottling things up inside.

Blow off that steam whilst remaining impeccable with your words — I think it is possible, do you? Join the conversation in the comment section bellow

Original article written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Purpose Fairy

Other articles you may enjoy:

Are You Bottling Up Your Feelings?

4 Ways to Motivate Yourself Out of Bed

5 Fundamental Steps to a Thriving Relationship

How to Filter Your Blurbs

4 Simple Tips on How to Stay Calm at Family Reunions

Books you may enjoy:

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:

How Trust Can Bring You Abundance

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

Self-Empowerment Books by Cherie Roe Dirksen:

Table Books of Art and Inspirational Teachings by Cherie Roe Dirksen:

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

You may also enjoy this book:

Paperback and Kindle available at Amazon

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

Finding a New Way to Accept Death

You may also enjoy this book:

Paperback and Kindle available at Amazon

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?

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!

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.

You may also enjoy:

The Bald-Faced Truth About Self-Portraits — Photographs and All!

Zebra Fever — Jazzing Up Your Walls With Stripes!

The 12 Hour Saatchi Art Competition Challenge — Start to Finish

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

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

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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:

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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.

12 things successful people do by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Did you enjoy this article? Don’t forget to pin it 😀

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!

Header Image by Nissor Abdourazakov from Pixabay

Other articles you may enjoy:

10 Tips Designed to Keep You Happy

How Trust Can Bring You Abundance

7 Helpful Pointers To Activate The Flow Of Abundance

6 Techniques to Stop Worrying

Why is Gratitude so Important When Creating Abundance?

3 Silver Bullets to Eliminate Fear

Is Social Networking Stifling Your Creative Juices?

Are you Creating the Life of your Dreams?

6 Ways to Alleviate Stress Now

The Secret to Excellent Living

Books by this author that you may enjoy:

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

Other articles you may enjoy:

12 Things Successful People Do To Excel

The Secret to Excellent Living

Live Like You Mean It — Live With Conviction!

The Fine Balancing Art of Yin and Yang

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

Finding a New Way to Accept Death

3 Bizarre and Unreasonable Motives to Stay on the Planet

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!

Other articles you may enjoy:

The Secret to Excellent Living

8 Life Strategies That Playing Chess Has Taught Me

Finding God and a Reason for Being Here

‘Love and Light’ — What Does it Mean?

Finding Humility Through Wisdom

7 Ways to Lift You from Depression

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?

Did you like this article? Don’t forget to pin it 😀

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

You may also enjoy:

The Fine Balancing Art of Yin and Yang

‘Love and Light’ — What Does it Mean?

Finding Humility Through Wisdom

Why Weird is the New Cool

The Magic Ingredient of Life

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

Other articles you may enjoy:

Live Like You Mean It — Live With Conviction!

The Secret to Excellent Living

Is Social Networking Stifling Your Creative Juices?

The Fine Balancing Art of Yin and Yang

Finding Humility Through Wisdom

Why Weird is the New Cool

2 Commonly Accepted Lies that You May Believe

What Freddy Mercury Can Teach Us About Detachment

People Who Own Their Lives 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 ‘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). Own your choices. The golden rule is to not infringe on anyone elses free will.

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.

You may also enjoy:

8 Life Strategies That Playing Chess Has Taught Me

Why Weird is the New Cool

What Freddy Mercury Can Teach Us About Detachment

7 Ways to Tame the Ego and Become Instantly Likeable

Take The Test — Are You a Slave to Social Networking?

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

Other articles you may enjoy:

8 Life Strategies That Playing Chess Has Taught Me

How to Get Your Creative Space Working For You

9 Truths About Letting Go of Opinions that Taint Us

An Artful Splash of Colour For Your Facebook Timeline

‘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 — Redefining Love in the New Earth 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 (click here to see which one of his books TOTALLY changed my perspective of success forever!) 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, tangible 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?

If you liked this article, don’t forget to Pin it! 🙂

In conclusion to this verbiage, I’d like to sum this up by adding; there is another wise saying in spiritual circles — Namaste — which means ‘I bow to the God in you’ — it’s beautiful and shows respect.

It is a recognition of the divine spark or aspect of the creator/God/source within another.

However, of late, we have this new ‘greeting’ to contend with, ‘love and light’. It can either send a shiver of contempt down your spine or fill you with good vibes.

I know that for some the former is true…it may irritate more than invoke feelings of euphoria — hell, it can irritate me sometimes too — especially when you wonder if the person whimsically tossing it about actually grasps the meaning of it or if they just like to poop candyfloss — but, eh, whatever floats your boat.

Now, hopefully, you can say or interpret this with some relevant meaning (as per the above discussion) aka ‘may you be held lovingly in good form’ (or something to that waffling effect).

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

Original article was written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Lightworkers World but adapted for use here.

Other articles you may enjoy:

The Fine Balancing Art of Yin and Yang

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?

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

Other articles you may enjoy:

The Secret to Excellent Living

Are You Playing Russian Roulette With Your Karma?

The Fine Balancing Art of Yin and Yang

Why Weird is the New Cool

Featured

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

A Call to all Potential and Existing Weirdos!

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.

You won't believe what the etymology of weird is!

Don’t forget to pin it!

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

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

Other articles you may like:

Why Taking Things Personally Could Be Ruining Your Life

6 Impossible Things To Do Every Day

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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!

9 Truths to Stop You From Caring What People Think

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

We’ve all feared, at some point in our lives, what other people think of us but here are 9 reasons to let go of the opinions of others for our own good:

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

Other articles you may enjoy:

7 Things I Wish I Knew when I Was a Teenager

12 Things Successful People Do To Excel

Live Like You Mean It — Live With Conviction!

6 Ways to Alleviate Stress Now

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!

Can Art Predict the Future?

Image

The artwork above and below come from an interesting article I picked up from the Fast Company website (click the link below to take you to the article).

100 Years Ago, French Artists Predicted The Future With Eerie Accuracy

I think some of the images were indeed, very strange, but some were eerily smack on the button. Unfortunately, the chicken ‘machine’ picture was one of those ones that I wish hadn’t come true and reminded me of the rotten fast food trade and those awful battery chicken farms (please readers, if you must eat chicken, support the free-range farmers).

The schoolroom picture (above) reminded me of Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’, which was interesting. But this picture is also, of course, indicative of the internet and our super-fast information highway we all have access to now.

So Let’s Get Back to the Question

Can art predict the future?

Well, this really got me thinking.

We live in a holographic world where every piece of matter reflects the whole. Yes, I think we can predict the future through art (among other things). I think this hologram theory is also why necromancy works with so many different devices (tea leaves, tarot, throwing bones, ruins, dream interpretation, channeling — everything is a microcosm for the macrocosm).

Here’s why:

We can map out future possibilities or potentials based on the needs, dreams and wants of the collective.
We are always working in a quantum soup of all possibilities and we follow, in linearity, the potential that has the most potency or collective ‘backing’.
These artists may have even planted that seed for future generations and inventors to carry through on — this is surprisingly how a lot of ‘stuff’ gets invented — through the inspiration and legacy or ideas of others.

But Not All of These Pictures Came True!

Just remember, only the ideas that have the most cosmic support will luck out in the end. In other words, the future potential that carries with it the most weight of the collective consciousness has the most potential to come into fruition.

The future is not guaranteed and is always ebbing and flowing with the tide of human consciousness. That is why some soothsayers and prognosticators have been frighteningly accurate and others have been devastatingly wrong.

Sometimes a prophet can predict both right and wrong outcomes, which can, on the surface, seem confusing to some. But, I think I may have a feasible answer…

Here is my reasoning:

People who can predict the future are only predicting one possible timeline out of the multiple choice section of the cosmic convergence menu.
The same people may not ever think that there is a vast selection of potential likelihoods to tap into or they are tuning into the most likely outcome at that specific epoch of time (this can fluctuate if consciousness shifts).
If the collective consciousness is forewarned and decides to shape a fresher future with a newly combined thought projection, it can alter the old paradigm and mold it into a new projection. Even Nostradamus said that any one of his predictions could be altered if humanity decides to take a different course.

Lastly, don’t forget that thoughts and action bring about the future, not dumb luck. You are the co-creator of this reality.

10 Tips Designed to Keep You Happy

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

With so much going on in the daily life of the average Joe, it is hard to stay motivated. We sometimes feel beaten down by society and all the things we occupy ourselves with, voluntary or involuntary.

This can range from commuting, work, school runs, to housework, helping the kids with homework, cooking and finding precious time to unwind — which usually ends up with us watching TV. But how can we manage our time better to incorporate the things we long to do but feel we have no time for?

Here are 10 tips to get you excited and keep you motivated to enjoy living another day:

1. Quality Sleep

This is one of the most important things you can gift yourself and your family with. Make space in your night-time schedule to start winding down at least 1 hour prior to going to bed. You can light some calming, soothing essential oils, such as lavender and chamomile — will assist in good, sound sleep. You can have a warm, milky drink or some herbal tea. Switch off all radios and TV’s that are keeping you engaged in noise and ‘action’. Instead, you can read that book you’ve been promising yourself or listen to some relaxing music. All of these things can aid you into an alpha brain wave state, which allows your mind to relax and disconnect. You must avoid falling asleep on a full stomach or, even worse, falling asleep with the TV on. Your mind still takes in everything it hears, even whilst asleep, and having the TV on will not only disrupt your sleep but possibly cause you to have nightmares.

2. Berry Boost

With a good nights sleep tucked safely under your belt, what better way to start your morning off with than a berry smoothie? This is quick and easy to make and will give your system a boost of sustainable energy. These smoothies keep me going for about 4-5 hours. They are great for your skin too, berries have anti-aging properties and the calcium is good for your bones, ladies! A quick recipe I use is (for one 500ml serving): Take 2 handfuls of mixed, frozen berries (or fresh if you like, I like the frozen ones because they give a kind of ‘crushed ice’ effect), 2 squirts of Stevia, 4 tablespoons of plain yoghurt and top up with some milk. Blend and drink your way to vitality and well-being!

3. Time Productivity

Use your time wisely. If you commute to work by public service, take this opportunity to meditate or read. Make it ‘you’ time. If you can, it is great to shut your eyes in the morning and the evening (could be on your way to or from work if you are traveling by public service) — for just 10-20 minutes at a time — to meditate and clear your mind. This will benefit you in more ways than you can imagine. It also gives you a break from the mind chatter or what I like to call ‘white noise’. This allows more productive thoughts through instead of the useless and incessant worry that can clog up the mind.

4. Breathing

Huh? Don’t I do this automatically? Yes, but most people are in the habit of shallow breathing. You need to oxygenate your body for optimum productivity and chi (vital force). Try to, at least every hour, breath in to the count of 5, hold it to the count of 5 and exhale to the count of 5. This will give you a boost during the day.

5. Let Loose

This is an integral step for you to de-stress after a long day. Explore an activity that is tantamount to letting the ‘inner child’ out to play. I find it really helpful to put on some upbeat music and have a sing-song and dance around the house. Get your groove on and invite your family to join in. You can do this for just 30 minutes and it is a really fun way to get moving and to unwind. The best part is you also get a great workout — physically and vocally! Let your inner diva shine!

6. Keep it Clean

This is a macrocosm/microcosm thing — it affects the inside and the outside world. When you have a neat, tidy and clean home and/or office, you are happier. When you have a clean, refreshed body, you are happier. I have to tell you about my dog. She hates her bath, as do so many of our canine counterparts, but after she has been through this torturous activity, she runs around the garden like a dog-reborn — smiling, barking and just generally frolicking like a pup. Bath-time also equates to going for a walk (which she does regularly) but when she walks after her bath, she has a spring in her step and a wag in her tail that is much more noticeable. This is a great metaphor for how we feel when our bodies are bathed (make your bath-time a treat too — get some nice smelly soaps and bubble-bath and make it an event) and our houses or offices are spic-and-span and organized.

7. Eat Well

Another part of keeping it clean, is keeping the inside of your sacred body clean and invest in a detox every now and again. Or better still, make it a daily habit to eat healthy fresh foods. You know the kind I’m talking about so I’m not going to go into detail. This is a no-brainer, you are what you eat. Keep it fresh, colourful and simple and your system will be alive and vibrant, leaving you feeling energized and ready to take on the world. Have you noticed how sluggish you feel when you’ve pigged out on a burger and chips? Yeah? Well, you need to get real about what you are putting in and perhaps compare that to what you are getting out! You may have a Porsche but you can’t run it on horse manure.

8. Creative Space

This is really important. We all need to express ourselves creatively, no matter if it takes the form of art, writing, decorating, drawing, constructing/ building, etc. It is hugely beneficial to give yourself some time and a quiet space to be creative. If it is once a day, that is great. If you can’t fit it in daily then at least allocate yourself a good few days of the week to squeeze in 2-3 hours of creative expression time. You can even make this a family activity where everyone gets time out to do something fun. It will teach you and your family the benefit of taking care of your own needs in an unselfish and productive way.

9. Gratitude

Take time out, especially with your family, to give thanks for all that you do have in your life right now. This can be over a meal, as is commonly practiced in the saying of Grace. I am not a religious person but I do see the benefits of giving thanks. This could also be done in your quiet time in the bath, or whilst you are commuting, etc. You can explain the benefits to your family and encourage them to also find a quiet minute or two to reflect on being grateful. This feeds positivity and will nurture your good feelings ratio.

10. Reflect

When you find the space to reflect on your life, your goals and your dreams, you can keep the picture of your destiny clear and precise. When you don’t take time out to ponder and to re-align with your intentions, you may lose sight of where you are headed. You can sometimes slip into a stream that does not fit the destination of your dream. Make a vision board where you can pin all the things you desire and all that you would like to manifest in your life experience. Make sure you hold yourself accountable for taking action towards your goals and keep this board somewhere where you will see it every day.

What is most important of all is that you enjoy your journey, this life is precious and special and you can make each day an enjoyable experience.

If you catch yourself falling into boredom or despair, simply remind yourself that you can make a choice to re-align to a more joyful outlook — run through this checklist and see if there is anything you can do or improve on to bring you into a state of balance and fulfillment.

In the wise words of Eckhart Tolle, you can either be enthusiastic about what you are doing, enjoy what you are doing or accept what you are doing. When you do not fall into any of these 3 categories you set yourself up for feeling resentment or frustration.

What do you find lifts your spirits? Please share it in the comment box below. 😀

Original article was written by Cherie Roe Dirksen for Purpose Fairy: 10 Tips Designed to Keep You on Your Toes.

Other articles you may enjoy:

3 Ways to Alchemize Chaos

Why You Need to Pay Attention to Synchronicity!

4 Ways to Motivate Yourself Out of Bed

5 Fundamental Steps to a Thriving Relationship

7 Things I Wish I Knew when I Was a Teenager

12 Things Successful People Do To Excel

Books you may enjoy by this author:

Table Books of Art and Inspirational Teachings by Cherie Roe Dirksen:

Dare to Be Who You Are

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Hay House Versus Haywire

I started writing my book ‘Divine You — Redefining Love in the New Earth’ in June of 2010. It was an amazing journey of self and felt incredible to put it into words. When it came to finding a publisher, I chose a publishing house in New York whose motto was ‘changing the world, one book at a time’ — I thought this was relevant and submitted my manuscript.

Since the momentous day, when they accepted my book and it landed on book shelves worldwide, I have tried to fit into a ‘spiritual’ persona category that just wasn’t me.

What Do I Mean?

Well, it took me 2 years to realize that I am trying to be something I am not. I wrote a self-empowerment book but that doesn’t mean that I am, what I like to call, a ‘Hay House special’.

Louise Hay, as most of you probably know, has a publishing company called Hay House. Some of her writers include the wonderful Wayne Dyer and Doreen Virtue. If you take a look at my home library, you will see many of her signed authors on my shelf — I have a great love and respect for most of the authors in my field.

“We all have a unique energetic signature to graffiti this wall of life with — you need to embrace all the idiosyncrasies or traits that make you you.”

My confusion lay in trying to conform to be an ‘esoteric’, clean-cut, straight-laced author which is a far cry from what I am inside — which is more zany, loud and humorous (growing up on shows like ‘Monty Python’). This is, however, not the image that my marketing consultant and I came up with to promote my website and book.

Struggling With My Image

I didn’t even realize, until recently, that I have struggled to keep this clean-cut look whilst feeling like a wild and wicked butterfly just dying to emerge from her black velvet, gold patterned and red spray-painted cocoon (that is the abstract artist in me, banging the door down, trying to get out!).

Although I have chosen a spiritual path, I am anything but a white-cotton-wearing, new age writer. My roots are firmly planted in rock, art and sci-fi.

If you were to be transported back in time, you would see the Gothic 15 year old version of me walking down the street wearing my black pixie boots, a long trench-coat, heavy-lidded make-up and sporting my bass guitar over-the-shoulder with possibly a Terry Pratchett novel poking out of my bag.

Origins in Rock

When I used to think back to that time I would give a little shudder of embarrassment — you know how it is, you fish out those old archived ‘teen’ photo’s and shriek ‘what was I thinking?‘. But in hindsight, I look back now and say to myself — those were my origins, that is who I was then to mold the being I am now.

I left school and played in many different bands, the last of which saw us bringing out 2 CD’s. I still love to listen to all the great musicians of our time and music is a big influence in my life.

I simply can’t resist having my first cuppa in the morning to a good, thumping tune (probably much to my neighbors distress) — it really gets my blood pumping for the rest of the day and sets a distinct electrifying mood.

We all have a unique energetic signature to graffiti this wall of life with — you need to embrace all the idiosyncrasies or traits that make you you.

Puff out that chest and be proud of your authentic, one-of-a-kind identity!

So Where Am I Going With This?

When you step into the integrity of who you truly are, you encounter that part of you that you may have suppressed for years due to social etiquette or fear of rejection, embarrassment or humiliation — not being accepted for who you really are.

“When you come into alignment with your true self you will discover that the world is an amazing place filled with opportunity, adventure and intrigue. The only thing that was blocking your view before was your lack of higher perspective.”

We, so often, try to conform to what is considered normal or polite — squashing our true feelings or reactions to situations or people, restricting our very being that is bursting to come out and shine in the light of pure Truth.

When you can tie in all your life experiences and merge them with the current ‘you’, you have a recipe for the most delicious human that can spread themselves on any bit of toast and be a culinary delight.

You just need to see it for yourself — can you view yourself from a different perspective?

How Does Your Soul Script Captivate?

They say everyone has a book in them:

What does your script read like?
Do you think you are interesting or dull?
Can you inject more pizzazz into your life?
What is holding you back from expressing your creative flame?

When you can speak and live your truth and it comes from pure source or your core/soul — you will be in your integrity. When you come into alignment with your true self you will discover that the world is an amazing place filled with opportunity, adventure and intrigue. The only thing that was blocking your view before was your lack of higher perspective.

If you were in the dingy, dark and smelly alleyways of Paris you may think that you have landed in hell itself. What if you were to climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower and take another look — you may find that you were in paradise all along!

Original article was posted on LIGHTWORKERS WORLD

The Pyramid Code: A Documentary Exploring Ancient Sacred Sites

Posted on July 21, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

This is a fantastic documentary about Ancient Egypt — beyond what we are told by National Geographic programs and Dr Zahi Hawass (who seems to be behind everything we see about Egyptology, the much-guarded information that we are allowed to, selectively, be privy of seeing and hearing).

Just remember: Even if your opinions differ, it is still healthy to see this from a different perspective.

Please click on the link below to take you to the documentary:

The Pyramid Code:Documentary Exploring Ancient Sacred Sites.

Energy Forecasts: Carry an Umbrella, it’s Raining Emotions

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

News Forecast, Just In

Due to high levels of stress and anxiety, the human race is collectively clearing all dross and karma in preparation for a higher state of consciousness. All those who are unaware of this present condition are urged to be cautious whilst traveling outside their door.

Here are some of the symptoms one can expect from their fellow-man during the shift of energies:

Stress and anxiety in copious amounts
Lack of enthusiasm at work or even for life
Heightened emotional responses which can include outbursts, crying, temper tantrums, etc.
Feeling that nobody understands you
Feeling abandoned or isolated
Feeling frustrated
Feeling great anticipation but not knowing what for
Being on your last nerve and highly strung
Severe mood swings

Physical symptoms can include:

Ringing in the ears
Feeling off-balance
Dizzy spells
Aching back and neck
Upset stomach
Depression
Feeling listless
Insomnia or over-sleeping
Constant fatigue
Loss of appetite or surge of appetite for certain things (especially protein)
Heart palpitations

I know a lot of you may think, ‘well, she’s just listed about everything that there is’. True, but these are genuine symptoms that people of all ages are experiencing en masse — just start-up a conversation with anyone about this and you’ll see.

So What’s Happening?

Let’s cut through the BS and get straight to it. We are in the middle of a massive planetary alignment and shit-storm.

Energy in the form of solar flares to gamma rays are bombarding us at every level. Our bodies are absorbing these energies and adapting. This means that we need to take it easy, relax and have loads of down-time.

Think of it like we are a bunch of computers who have just got an upgrade. The computer needs to be rebooted (precisely where we stand at the moment) and to log on again using the new software.

There will be an orientation period where we need to assimilate what is happening to us on an emotional and physical level. It is also happening very fast and for this reason alone, we need to take care of our physical and emotional needs. This can be done by:

Drinking lots of clean, pure water
Eating fresh foods, especially root vegetables (needed for grounding)
Rest, rest, and oh have I said this yet? MORE REST! Babies need to sleep because they are growing, we need the same because we are changing physically as we absorb these new energies from the solar system
Release pent-up emotions by either having a good cry, a good shout, a loud scream or any other way of letting out the steam (go listen to Tears for Fears ‘Shout’ — some sound advice there)
Get yourself a talking buddy and talk! Let it all hang out…don’t hold back, even if you end up talking to your pet or writing it out — let it go
Meditate — get quiet and listen to what your soul wants. You don’t have to be a guru to do this, you just need to switch off the TV, radio, iPod, blah blah and feel comfortable with silence, then go within. You will be amazed at the answers that await you in this place of stillness

The Cure

The upshot of all this is, if you have your umbrella and perhaps don a pair of wellies, you can go splashing around in puddles and have some fun! Even if you are a sorry sack at the moment, don’t forget to inject some humour and playfullness into your life. Lately, I’ve been finding comedy and laughing a good source of upliftment.

As they say ‘laughter is the best medicine’ — go on, try it out. Here, I’ll even help you out. To get you started, watch these 3 classics (I’m watching you! I’ll know if you skip the last one — just because it’s a Muppets sketch don’t think it isn’t pant-wettingly funny):

http://youtu.be/1MnX1wT7BRU

What have you been experiencing lately?

Does any of this ring true to you?

Or do you think this is a bunch of new age baloney?

It’s okay to speak truthfully and to have your say. Get it off your chest. Oh, and while you’re at it, you might as well share the link to your most favourite comedy sketch. Broadcast the humour!

Just 1 Simple Truth to Enlightenment — Are You Prepared?

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

The 1 simple truth to enlightenment is…ah! But if I told you that now, I would spoil the rest of this article for you. You’ll have to just soldier on ’til the end. Let’s begin with:

One Big Happy Family Theory

I read an interesting article on the internet that claimed a demographer created a probability model theorising that a child born in the 1940s in England, if tracing his lineage back to around the late fifteenth century would have close to sixty thousand ancestors.

When going back further to the early thirteenth century, that same child would find eighty percent of the population of England, at that time, would be on their family tree.

Can We Really All Be Related?

These claims suggest anyone living in England currently would most likely be related, if they traced back their lineage through English history.

“Could it be that we all stem from one race? “

Can you now imagine what going back some two thousand years would produce? Or even 6000 years? Could it be that we all stem from one race? Or, at the very least, are we all intrinsically related in some way or another?

Perhaps we are all one big global family.

Dreaming of Unity Consciousness

This is my belief anyway and it is my dream that one day we will all be able to live in symbiance with each other and along with all different beliefs and faiths. We will come to a point where we do not judge or dissuade anyone from their place of truth — especially what they choose to believe in.

Messiah Messages of Love

I do not subscribe to any religion — I believe in God or a Divine Source. However, I do have a great respect for all the various belief systems as I have come to realise the
underlying current is usually one of love.

“…we are painting a picture of an all-encompassing metaphorical concept of the sacred messengers (messiah) of God’s Word.”

I feel every Messiah that has graced this Earth can be clearly seen in these words as they all came in with messages of love, and they should all be acknowledged in the same light.

Whether we are addressing Abraham, Muhammad, Krishna, Gautama Buddha or Jesus Christ, we are painting a picture of an all-encompassing metaphorical concept of the sacred messengers (messiah) of God’s Word.

We all come in different packages so why can’t messiahs too? They may come in the package of being Jewish, or Indian or Arabic, etc — and why not?

Perspectives and Holding Your Tongue

It is an obvious deduction that we may need different cultural perspectives to gain one simple idea. So which one is right and true? Is it so hard to conceive that many masters bring one message?

“You can love unconditionally without having to be the sole provider or keeper of the Truth.”

Let us try to tune in to all these delicious deities as a whole on our quest to unravel these messages of unconditional love and while we are on this journey of life, let’s not forget that we are all connected to each other and your life does not require for your neighbour to hold the same beliefs as you. You can love unconditionally without having to be the sole provider or keeper of the Truth.

There are 7 billion versions and perspectives of the truth out there and your view is but one.

If you just focused on your own integrity, you would see that there is no need to focus on another’s. That is for them to address, not you. Leave judgement at the door and focus on yourself and your own growth — leave your fellow brothers and sisters to unravel their own life’s unique tapestry.

What it All Boils Down To Is…

Respect and love others, respect and love yourself. Respect and love all life forms and you will have stepped into enlightenment.

Simple.

3 Questions You Need to Ask Yourself When Dealing With Aggravation

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

The above quotation is what is sometimes referred to as the ‘smoky mirror’ syndrome. We don’t like in others what we don’t care to admit is a fault within us.

How Can I Identify this Kind of Behaviour in Myself?

An example of this could be that you are very annoyed with your colleague for never allowing you to get your point across. This may be a reflection of how you behave at times. It may not be with this specific person, it could be something that you do to your friends or family, in a completely different environment from the workplace.

This is why it is difficult for us to sometimes identify the problem within ourselves — we simply don’t recognize its existence.

“Awareness allows for truth to flow through a situation.”

It is imperitive to find time for deep inner reflection, questioning and, above all, honesty when it comes to dealing with trying to figure out why your buttons are being pushed.

When you can identify the behaviour within yourself, you have found the awareness to deal with it. Awareness allows for truth to flow through a situation. So instead of reacting the next time your colleague doesn’t allow for you to have your say, see if this inner questioning system works:

Do I need to ‘have my say’ or can I simply be the still presence and say nothing?
If not, why is it that I feel the need to reciprocate?
Does it make me feel less important when I remain silent?
Do I really need to convince my colleague of my point of view or is this my ego wanting to control the situation?

Be honest with yourself.

Now when you find yourself on the giving end of the situation — in this instance, you will be the one doing all the talking and not letting anyone else have a word — see if you can:

Identify that you have perhaps not allowed anyone else to talk or contribute.
Can you stop talking once this awareness has broken through?
Are you comfortable with letting someone else speak and listening to their point of view?

I have only given one example here of how the smoky mirror can work, please try to mould this example to fit in with any situation you are having difficulties with.

If you can’t identify the behaviour in yourself, then perhaps you can go out on a limb and ask a friend if they see this behaviour in you. Don’t be angry if your friend can identify it, just remember that you are on the path to self-empowerment and you need to be able to not take things personally.

Call to Action!

Can you share a story about recognizing the actions of another reflected in yourself? How are you dealing with that? Share your wisdom…

Are you having problems seeing this concept in yourself? Is there no way that you mirror the bad behaviour you see in others that irritates you?

Are you walking a fine line between acknowledging your faults or finding that you are just being objectively critical?

For further reading, please see my other blogs:

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

Do You Take Things Personally?

More about this topic can also be found in my book ‘Divine You – Redefining Love in the New Earth’ (where the above quotation was taken from).

SUBSCRIBE TO THE SITE TODAY AND RECEIVE A BUNDLE OF INSPIRATIONAL BOOKS AND WALLPAPERS — 100% FREE

What Ancient Egyptians Can Teach Us About Balance of the Sexes

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

I Want My Mummy!

Interestingly enough, ancient Egypt did have some roots in matriarchal living. Akhenaton, the recently discovered father of Tutankhamun (as proved through DNA samples), tried to bring this ancient teaching back during his reign — which was short, only lasting 16 years — and did so until his untimely death and the orders of the new pharaoh wiped out any mention of its existence, knocking down temples and palaces and using the rubble to build new sites, re-establishing the old religions.

Akhenaton (or Amenhotep IV, 18th Dynasty) is also said to have been the predecessor of modern monotheism, the belief in only one God — Aten.

Back to Egyptian Matriarchy

What I love about this concept is that it is not the extreme sway from a male-dominated society to a female-dominated one, no — it is the balance between the two. The divine counternance of yin and yang.

In many of the statues, the women is depicted with her hand on the mans shoulder. This is alleged to symbolize that he belongs to her, a kind of ‘ownership’. The Happeh Theory suggests that this has got to do with energy or the ‘chi’ of the yin/yang principle — a linked energy.

The wigs that the Pharaohs/Rulers wore also have an interesting theory. When a Pharaohs wig became longer (leaning towards looking more feminine) it denoted that he was a more balanced, wise and spiritual leader — it was a high rank bestowed upon him. They clearly revered their women and the part a women has to play in balance.

Photo (Egyptian Family) taken by my grandfather, Harry Roe, during his service in Egypt in WW2.

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4 Things Travel Can Teach Us About Avoidance

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Talk About Denial!

After last weeks blog,”Mirror, mirror on the wall — who’s in the most denial of us all?”, I am literally going to be in de-nial — or rather ‘de Nile’ — this time next week.

It’s my first trip to Egypt and I am both excited and extremely anxious. My husband keeps reporting the daily news from Cairo, which adds to my nervous disposition towards the tension and build-up to the new presidential elections in Egypt this month. However, I keep on reminding myself that I have wanted to do this since I was a little girl.

By the way, the picture above was taken by my grandfather, Harry Roe, during World War 2 (he was stationed in Egypt) — quite remarkable, isn’t it? There’s another picture further down, taken from the banks of the Nile.

Back to the article.

The Last Minute

So, this trip was booked spontaneously about a month ago and I thought I had a lot more time to sort things out than I actually do.

Now that it comes to the crunch, I have actually been putting a lot of stuff off. Of course, I have been doing all the nice things like buying new sandals and planning my trip to the salon for some heavy-duty waxing but when it comes to the more pressing details, well, those are on my ‘to do’ list in my head.

Realizations and Deadlines

Without having to drag you through the nuts and bolts of my checklist, I am going to get straight to the point of this blog and go for the jugular — the things we don’t want to face but inevitably have to.

Besides having to purchase sunscreen and alert the neighbours of my departure, what have I been putting off?

Drawing up a will — yeah, I know, a tad bit dramatic? Certainly, but also necessary. I don’t have a will in place and if, God forsake, my husband and I should not return, we will have left our family in a bit of a pickle with regards to who gets what. We don’t have children or debt (thankfully) but we do have pets, which I would like to see well looked after, etc.
Financial Planning — Yup, that old humdinger — and let’s face it, who wants to think about that? We are both self-employed and a 10 day vacation also means a 10 day unpaid vacation. So we need a game plan to see us through this month and to re-enter a new month when we get back.
Care-Givers — With pets (and for many of you who can’t travel with your children) this step of the process is sometimes the hardest. Having to leave your dear ones in the care of others and planning for their needs while you are away. I, thankfully, have a good friend who house and pet-sits for me but it is still one of those things that you only face or start to think about closer to the time and pray that all goes well.
Documents — I’m not even going to go into this one because it’s red-tape boring! You know the type, visa’s, passports, itineraries, blah blah…

Can you see why I have been experiencing a tiny little bit of denial? Most of these things aren’t easy to face or think about. Not that I advocate dwelling on anything that doesn’t make you feel good but, inevitably, some of these things do need to have a strategy or plan in place for your peace of mind.

Putting Things In Place

Like the thought of leaving your pets, I wish I could explain to them that I will be back but, alas, you can’t. The last time I went on holiday, my cat sulked at us for days!

Or the thought of who you are going to leave things to in your will. The truth is that if you don’t, your loved ones will be left to sort this out and surely you don’t want to instigate squabbling on your behalf.

Setting your finances straight really is a drag but, again, you will have peace of mind whilst you are away — isn’t it worth it in the long run? Work a little harder now to have time to put your feet up later.

And, lastly, documents — just do it. No use griping about it. Accept what is and you’ll find it is finalized before you know it.

Right, now that I have got that off my chest, I will leave you in peace to enjoy the rest of your Thursday…just remember, tie up those loose ends so you can get on with the joy of living!

Motivating Update: I set aside my weekend to start ‘wrapping’ these things up. You won’t believe how quick it was to tie up all these loose ends! It literally took me a couple of hours and I had most of it done.

I’m now starting to feel the anxiety slip away and a sense of excitement taking its place!

Question Time

What is it that you put off until the last-minute when you go away?

What, in general, are you putting off now that you know will make an improvement on your life if you did it?

What is stopping you from setting your affairs in order?

Come on, be honest.

UPDATE: I am back from Egypt, you can see my blogs here:

Come Journey Through Picturesque Egypt With Me

Bizarre Contrasts: McDonalds and Karnak Temple, Egypt!

What You Need to Know About Desperation and Manifestation

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Finding Yourself and Your Purpose

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Here are some quotes and pictures from my book ‘Creative Expression — How to find your inspiration…’ (download the entire book FREE here) to help kick-start your week and ignite your passion and zest for life:

Pushing the envelope of creative expansion breaks down any illusion of limitation. Once you step out of the box, infinity beckons your every whim.

Bask in the knowledge that existence is infinite, as are all possibilities.

We create in a field of pure energy potential.

“God is omnipotent — in everyone and everything…”

To know the mind of God is to know your own mind. Dissolve the thoughts that do not serve you and nourish the ones that will blossom into your unique experience.

God wants to experience through you and you will benefit greatly from the experience of God — who resides in the stillness, the place between thoughts.

Why is creativity important?

Thought leads to inspire. Inspiration gives rise to creativity. Creation gives form to manifest reality. Without creation there would be no reality to experience. Ergo, creativity is as necessary to our souls as energy is to sustaining the Universe.

And all of this is birthed by the most powerful force — love.

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You may also enjoy this article: Ignite Your Creative Flame!

How to Stay Grounded in 2012

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Energy Influx

How have you been feeling lately? This year, as exciting as it is, comes with a price.

“You even may seek medical advice because your body is doing the fandango and you ain’t dancing!”

The price we are paying for our spiritual upgrade is sleepless nights/insomnia, waking up at 3:00 in the morning (not again!), feeling lethargy/exhausted for no good reason (except the sleepless nights, of course), headaches and migraines that leave you feeling incapacitated, mood swings that knock you off your feet (with no sign of PMS in sight), strange eating patterns, loss of lustre and, probably the worst of all, the dark night of the soul.

We are experiencing a massive wave of cosmic energy hitting us from all directions, from planetary alignments to solar flares and gamma rays.

The Dark Night of the Soul

What is this? It is the feeling that you could sink no lower. When the earth seems to literally have been taken out from under your feet. You wander around in a daze, not knowing if you are coming or going or even if you want to be here to participate in the first place.

“No-one understands you and you certainly don’t understand anyone else. You want out!”

It is a feeling of great depression, possibly the worst you have ever experienced. And mostly, and this is the really irritating part, you don’t know why you are depressed, you don’t seem to have a good enough reason.

You feel like an alien on your own planet. No-one understands you and you certainly don’t understand anyone else. You want out! You even may seek medical advice because your body is doing the fandango and you ain’t dancing!

This happens to even the best of us. You are not alone and this feeling will pass in time. I know this because I have had several ‘dark nights of the soul’ periods over the past 2 years and, even though you feel like it will never end, it does.

This Too Shall Pass

You have been through a lot in your lifetime. Cast your mind back to all those events that you thought you would never get through. Well? Did you get through them? The answer is probably yes.

“When you can find the middle ground — where you are satiated, at peace and have found contentment in the moment — you have found your source of power.”

When we are faced with depression, worry and anxiety — just to name a few — it is very hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, it is there, it is always there. You are not alone and you are never abandoned.

Just remember that everything is fleeting and all things will pass. The good and the bad. This is not meant to make you feel uneasy, especially if you are in a good place. It is just a bridge to help you to cross to a peaceful frame of mind.

You have most likely also been in vast amounts of joy and happiness in your life. The feeling of elation also doesn’t last. You may not feel unhappy when it passes but the elation does pass.

Where Your Feet Touch the Ground and Your Head Floats in the Sky

When you can find the middle ground — where you are satiated, at peace and have found contentment in the moment — you have found your source of power.

A great exercise to help you to ground yourself is to go out and be in nature. Sit under a tree or feel the grass under your bare feet. There is nothing like nature to draw you into the present moment.

We do live on a beautiful planet in an extraordinary point in time — don’t forget that. Try to remind yourself of it as much as possible, especially when you are feeling low.

Your choices determine your life, you chose to be here. Enjoy the bumpy ride and hold on for your dear life — the roller-coaster has only reached the summit!

My latest book is out now at all leading bookstores:

The Shocking Truth About Gender Equality

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Women are Men and Men are Women

Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus? This may seem to be the case when we are living in linearity with an illusory divide that is the separation between the two genders of humanity. But let’s look at why this statement is lacking a quantum perspective.

The Healing of the Female/Male Painbody

I feel like I was born into this world with a female painbody (for those of you who are not familiar with the word ‘painbody’ — a word coined by Eckhart Tolle — I am referring to the collective emotion/pain of being a woman).

” …the divide between men and women and the issue of inequality is monumentally better than just even one generation ago…”

The frustration of feeling equal in all but strength to a man can be overwhelming when faced with situations of unequal pay, if you are female, not being taken seriously with your political or even general views, etc.

I have to say that we are living in a day and age where the divide between men and women and the issue of inequality is monumentally better than just even one generation ago, let alone 300 years ago. But there is still work to be done. And in fact, it is such a simple thing that we need to do — to address inequality — that I have all confidence and hope that this generation will be the ones to effect change.

Reconciling the History of Pain

The collective ‘painbody’ of the female goes way back.

“…the basic stripping down of the divine feminine and subjugating her to a life of being barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. “

As you can imagine, we are talking about biblical times where women were practically written out of the bible or if they did make an appearance they were usually whores or harlots; the witch burning crusades of the Spanish Inquisition; the basic stripping down of the divine feminine and subjugating her to a life of being barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.

During my lifetime, I have pondered these many harsh historical tales and it has made me feel quite angry about being a woman.

I Want to be a Man

For most of my life I always wanted to be a man, this would have seemed to solve a lot of my frustrations. Until I had my recent epiphany that has made me see this from a completely new perspective.

And hooray for this new revelation because now I can say with confidence ‘I LOVE BEING A WOMAN!’.

Blood, Sweat and Tears…Literally

I woke up last week and had started my period. I ambled downstairs and sat on the couch while I had my first cup of the morning and tried to wake up.

“A mixture of feelings had overcome me and I wasn’t too sure about the outburst.”

After just sitting there for about an hour I burst into tears. A mixture of feelings had overcome me and I wasn’t too sure about the outburst. So I thought to myself it’s just PMS and I am in pain so ergo the tears.

This made me feel even more frustrated and the crying didn’t stop. My dear husband came and sat with me during the outburst and offered consolation. I then asked him if he minded me ‘spilling my guts’ to him in an attempt to purge myself of what I was feeling. He agreed and the deluge began.

Frustration and Compassion

It started with me telling him my frustrations over how my period made me feel – sore, dirty, uncomfortable and, worst of all, judged.

I let it out that I was frustrated about how most women are judged or perceived as being a little ‘mental’ when they are menstruating. I verbalized the injustice in this as your body does go crazy and it is mostly out of your control.

“When you don’t understand something, don’t judge it – just let it be and show compassion.”

Perhaps, some men just don’t get the fact that your body is being stormed with hormones and you don’t know your arse from your elbow. The key to this is empathy – compassion. When you don’t understand something, don’t judge it – just let it be and show compassion. That’s all, it’s very simple. Support and compassion.

No Stopping Me Now

The tears, however, did not abate.

I had just read a chapter in a book the night before that stated that women who have sex out of a ‘sins of the flesh’ or in lustful way have pain during childbirth.

Now I have heard of orgasmic childbirths and I have no quarrel with this statement as, perhaps, children who are conceived through the purest of intentions and love may very well be born differently – turning pain into ecstasy.

But my female painbody sprung into action!

What about all the men who have lustful ‘sins of the flesh’ type sex?
What is the pain that they are to bear?
A man is even guaranteed an orgasm if conception has taken place, where the woman is not guaranteed anything – how unfair!
Why must a woman take on the misgivings of these combined activities?

Utter frustration was gripping me as I tackled this concept. I was back in the throngs of the painbody.

Collapse and then Rebuild

Whilst my husband took a break from the festivities of the couch, I sat sobbing into my tissue.

As I was in this moment I felt arms around me. Whether they were the arms of my guides, angels or higher self, they were so comforting.

Then I heard a whisper in my ear:

“Now what if you were a man in your previous life and all these men who ‘don’t get women’ were actually women themselves in past life experiences – you have incarnated here on this earth plane and you have forgotten all past life experiences”.

Now I do know this concept that we have had numerous past lives and the likelihood of having experienced various different lives in various different genders makes sense.

No More Duality, Thank You!

Then the penny dropped (and along with it a lot of frustration): All men in this current lifetime have been women, have given birth, have probably been raped or abused, have been put down, have suffered extremities and loss.

“We are all one and the same! Duh.”

All women in this current lifetime have been soldiers and/or warriors, have done hard labour, have perhaps been abusers, have suffered bloodshed and loss just like anyone. We are all one and the same! Duh.

Most have just forgotten.

The voice then whispered again in my ear, “Now say the opposite”. I wondered what the voice meant and then I realized that I had been repeatedly sobbing into my tissue ‘I hate being a woman!’…I tried it, ‘I love being a woman!’ I felt a great sense of relief and sincerity when I voiced this.

So, in figuring that one out I sat there – in silence. So what is the solution. This makes me feel a bit better but it still doesn’t solve everything.

Speaking Trinity with an Angel

Then I remembered something that Archangel Metatron had told me in one of my dowsing sessions. He said that we need to redefine the trinity as love, healing coupled with compassion and this will lead us to mastery.

The Conclusion and New Beginnings

My conclusion is that through the love of each other, crossing every divide – be it gender or race, religion or political view – we will allow ourselves to empathize with each other and to have compassion.

“We are the yin and the yang. There is no separation – this is an illusion.”

When we can walk alongside each other and lift each other up and offer support when and where it is needed, we will be masters.

When gender is no longer an issue and the problems that either gender is facing in the NOW is met with compassion and understanding, we will be equal. Because we know, deep down inside what it feels like to be both man or woman.

When you buy into the illusion of separation, this leads to fear, misery and frustration. See past the illusion of gender and you are just the I AM.

Just love who you are now.

Be grateful for who you are now.

20 Ways to Set Your Spirit Soaring (and they’re all FREE)

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Getting in touch with your innate sense of well-being can be fun, inexpensive and easy.

Here is a list of things that life has to offer that are 100% free — no strings attached (except in the case of playing with kittens):

Friendship — Connect with real people (not just social networking), make new connections and rekindle old relationships, if appropriate.
A smile — Dish them out! You have nothing to lose. Pass them around.
A heart-felt hug/embrace — It never goes astray, have you noticed? Making physical contact is extremely important for any living creature.
A compliment — Be impeccable with your words, let only kind, well thought-out words roll off your tongue.
Fresh air — Yes, it is free and beneficial. Be grateful for a deep breath of oxygen.
Cloud spotting — This is preferably done on freshly mown, green, lush grass.
Swimming — A swim in the ocean or a lake, or even a pool. The feeling of being weightless and carefree. Priceless!
Humour — Share a good joke, get laughing — it’s the best medicine.
Smelling — When was the last time you literally stopped to smell the roses? Use your senses wisely…
Children — Watching a baby or a child/children play is one of the most uplifting past-times. It’s free and it usually puts a smile on your dial.
Kittens — Have you ever watched a kitten or cat play with a piece of string? Another priceless activity that will get your heart-strings all in tune.
Dogs — One of my favourite things to observe is witnessing a dog disembarking from a car to see he is at the beach! If you don’t have pets, go sit in the park and watch animals frolicking. Just remember joy is contagious — anyone’s or anything’s joy rubs off, did you know that?
Mountains — There they are, just standing there looking pretty…go climb one! It’s an amazing feeling.
Walking — Strolling through a meadow on a sunny spring morning, watching butterflies dance their way through the sky in front of you. When last did you do that?
Napping — Having an afternoon nap in the sun or under the shade of a tree. Bliss! For anyone who’s been to South Africa, you would have noticed that people do this all the time — during lunch-breaks, coffee breaks, etc.
Sand castles — Building a sandcastle is just terrific. Getting down and mucky in the sand. Free and liberating! Note to the beachless: sorry about that, perhaps it’s time to take a trip to the nearest coast or plan that next tropical holiday?
Stomping — Once you’ve built the sand castle, jump on it and smash it into the ground. Do you remember doing that!?! Pure elation and freedom from attachment. Release the joy of your inner child.
Music — Play your favourite songs and instantly lift your vibration!
Be grateful — Make a list of all the things going right in your life and you’ll be surprised at just how well you are manifesting your existence.
Creative Expression — The last FREE thing on my list is my book ‘Creative
How to find your inspiration…

Expression — How to find your inspiration…’ It is available on this site as a FREE download once you subscribe (subscription is also 100% FREE).

How freeing is it to know that there is so much to do that doesn’t come with a price tag attached?

Sometimes we need to concentrate on being in the now, focus on the little joys of life to squeeze the ultimate bliss out of every day.

What things do you like to get up to that are free and priceless? Please share your stories…

Here is a blog that you may find interesting:

How to find happiness without buying it

Help Others.org: On Passing Around Smiles… — A Kindness Story.

No Free Handouts — You Have to Work for your Happiness

Are You a Celebrity Hypocrite?

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

This is a touchy subject but one that I would like to ‘vent’ about.

We live in a society that is celebrity mad. A celebrity dies and there are endless Facebook comments and twitter feeds sending out condolences. I do not mind this in the least if it were not so fake.

Some people use it to ‘jump on the bandwagon’ of whats ‘trending’ on social networks, some people do it because they are genuinely shocked that a celebrity can actually die (Are they really mere mortals?!?) and some were genuine fans and are sad at the passing.

The latter is most understandable as I would also feel a great loss if, say for instance, David Bowie had to pass. I have loved his music since I was a child and I would be a little sad.

Roll out the Merchandise

And doesn’t it make you sick, when days after their passing, all the commemorative merchandise starts hitting the stores! This is a society gone mad. I know only too well how the art industry works in a similar vein. Die and you are an instant millionare…bizarre!

“We ‘loved’ this person. Really? Then why were you not tweeting about them every day…”

However, most of these celebrities were never talked about when they were alive, with exception to when they were in their ‘hay day’. They slip out of the limelight and into obscurity and when the die…well, only then is there an outcry! Oh my. We ‘loved’ this person. Really? Then why were you not tweeting about them every day or at least once a year?

Do you really feel a loss or are you being swept up in the media ‘hype’? Has this really changed your life?

The Sad Reality

Now what I really want to get to is this. Statistically, 150 000 people die every day.

Wow!

There are people dying every day in the uprisings in countries like Syria and various conflicts all over the world — men, women and children alike. We don’t see much memorial tributes on our feed to this problem, do we?

What makes us so numb to our brothers and sisters all over the world that lose their lives daily, some needlessly?

Why are we only ‘called into action’ when a celebrity dies?

Do we feel we know this person?

Is it shocking because we think they are untouchable or somehow, immortal?

Is it that too many people die daily and they are mere statistics to us?

It is sad.

Well Wishing for the World

I believe that all the well wishes that go out to celebrity families are wonderful because the collective sorrow, or group consciousness, will be very strong and these families and loved ones, of the person who has passed, will no doubt feel the love and compassion on a grand scale.

“I wish we could have a death of this distorted thing called ‘celebrity’ — can you imagine a world without it? “

I only wish that we could practice this for every soul on the planet, not only the ones who appear on TV or in the tabloids. You may not know them by name or face but when you feel the need to dish out condolences, try to remember all the people out their grieving and try to also bless them with your love and compassion.

I wish we could have a death of this distorted thing called ‘celebrity’ — can you imagine a world without it? If we could just appreciate actors, musicians, etc for what they do and not what their status is? I’m sure most of the celebrities would love it — having the freedom to live their lives without being bombarded by paparazzi.

Can you imagine a world where Justin Bieber can go to his local cinema with a bunch of friends and perhaps just be a normal teenager who likes to sing? Or Lady Gaga can get a cup of coffee at Starbucks without wearing shades? Oh well, maybe one day.

Food for thought, isn’t it? Please feel free to share your views on this. How many of you would prefer a celebrity-free world?

Photo credit: Red Carpet by Salvatore Vuono

Aliens — How Close Are We To Disclosure?

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Since the early twentieth century aliens have fascinated us with the stories of UFOs and tales of abductions. Fanciful books and movies about aliens have circulated since the great hype of the 1950s.

“What if, through science fiction, these films were made to prepare us for the inevitable ‘close’ encounter?”

Our imaginations have run riot, and we have invented and perhaps correctly, documented many various adaptations of what alien beings may look like – some scary images and some rather pleasant ones.

What if, through science fiction, these films were made to prepare us for the inevitable ‘close’ encounter? A slow and methodical, calculated adjustment to the truth that lies out there in space.

Whether you believe in aliens or not – as the movie Contact so eloquently put it through Jodie Foster’s character. ‘I’ll tell you one thing about the universe, though. The universe is a pretty big place. It’s bigger than anything anyone has ever dreamt of before. So if it’s just us… seems like an awful waste of space. Right?’

(The above passage has been taken out of my new book ‘Divine You — Redefining Love in the New Earth’, which is AVAILABLE NOW.)

After really wanting to have a tangible UFO experience, I am happy to report, my husband (Mike) and I witnessed a UFO. It was a truly awesome experience and I am ecstatic to have had him with me and to have seen exactly the same encounter. It was a reddish-orange orb (Mike said he saw a light within it) and it was flying in a straight line that eventually tapered up and out into space. It was also morphing slightly as it was flying and it made a very soft droning sound.

I obviously know what an aeroplane looks and sounds like and this was not an aeroplane.

The most intriguing part is that I was lying in bed with the window and curtain open. It was about 23h00 at night and Mike was lying next to me, asleep.

A voice spoke inside my head and said, ‘Look out the window‘. I did and saw this orb floating past my neighbours roof. Well, I got such a fright that I literally pushed Mike out of bed and we both hurried downstairs and outside to take a closer look.

How bizarre!

Have you ever seen or experienced a UFO? Would you like to? Do you believe in aliens? Please tell me about your encounters…

Divine You — Redefining Love in the New Earth by Cherie Roe Dirksen (List Price $8.99)

This book outlines the practical steps you can take to become the master of your life.

It addresses outdated core beliefs and challenges you to rethink preconceived ideas about love, forgiveness, fear, religious doctrine and many other emotive topics that we face in our lives.

Step into the new world within the pages of a book that offers you the opportunity to live the life of your dreams and to truly experience what it means to be a part of God – the Divine part of you.

NOW AVAILABLE AT: USA — Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Raider, Alibris UK —WHSmith, Amazon, Waterstones SOUTH AFRICA — Loot, Kalahari

Photo credit:

“Aliens” by Africa

How Can Wishing For Your Rivals Success Make You Successful?

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Is There Enough? How to Wish for Abundance for Others Too…

This is the part that most people don’t get and it is such a wonderful thing to do. It is a great test of your faith and just how much you want to see others happy and successful too.

“…would you only want one of your children to succeed in life?”

This principle works on the visualization of other people succeeding, especially those you deem your competitors. It is a hard concept as we are taught that there is not enough for everyone and that we must win and in order to do that, someone must lose. This is utter nonsense as the universe is abundant. This is another ploy in keeping us on opposing sides – the ‘me’ versus ‘them’ theory.

“We don’t all want the same thing anyway, so stop feeling threatened by others…”

Let’s take the ‘Parent Analogy’ – would you only want one of your children to succeed in life? Of course not, you would want them all to succeed. We don’t all want the same thing anyway, so stop feeling threatened by others and the wonderful idea of everyone experiencing abundance.

If you believe that the Divine is behind the Law of Attraction then it makes perfect sense, yet again, that we all manifest abundance. Just like parents wanting all their children to have happy and prosperous lives.

“Is it not a thrill on its own to see other people happy and excited?”

So, whatever situation you want to bring into your life, be it a successful career or a successful relationship, see others enjoying the same benefits. If it is a raise in your salary you desire then see all your colleagues happy faces as you visualize them all receiving a raise.

Is it not a thrill on its own to see other people happy and excited? This vibration is also extremely powerful and will make you a magnet for success, especially as all those around you will be experiencing good times through your visualizations as well! How about that for a win-win situation?

If you find yourself having trouble with this exercise, then it might be prudent to question, deep within yourself, why you are feeling this way.

This exercise will help you to see the Grand Design – a world of joy and creativity where everyone’s a winner.

Above photo image created by Grant Cochrane

Part of the above article has been an extract from my latest book ‘Divine You — Redefining Love in the New Earth’ which is available now through all good bookstores.

Does God Love Us Unconditionally?

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

I am continuing my blog from Tuesday, where we are taking a look at unconditional love. To recap please click here.

Divine Love

Now the Divine Source (or ‘God’) that I best understand never judges. You want to know why ‘He’ doesn’t get involved in human affairs?

“Of course there will be no smiting, there is no judgment.”

Well, the analogy that the Divine is the all seeing father/mother figure brings into focus that when we do something ‘bad’ the Divine will strike us down but this never happens. Some of you think ‘He’ just doesn’t care but I think it’s because the Divine is free of judgment.

The statement that ‘God is Love’ reiterates this. Of course there will be no smiting, there is no judgment. Do not conceptualize the Divine as if He/She was human. It is only us that think like this.

The Human Parent vs God Analogy

As the entity referred to as God has been interpreted as our all loving, encompassing parent, we too are intrinsically a good analogy for this as we all have that basic instinct for love of our own children or relations, even if they are not blood relations, we all have somebody whom we love and cherish and this is the one (or many, hopefully) that we will use this analogy upon.

“You can do nothing wrong in the eyes of the Infinite Oneness.”

I can only speak from an observation standpoint as I, myself, am not a parent. But the love a parent has for their child is irrefutable. Your child can do nothing to stop the unconditional love that you have for him or her.

“So the laughable image of hell is a complete and utter scare tactic. “

This is the basic framework of this analogy we will be using because this principal works the same way for the Divine Source.

You can do nothing wrong in the eyes of the Infinite Oneness. Your behaviors may not be acceptable in certain situations but you, as an entity, a child of the Divine, will never be discarded. So the laughable image of hell is a complete and utter scare tactic.

Hell — The Biggest Lie Ever Told

If your child did something really bad would you want to see them burn in an eternal pit of fire? Would you physically take your child and want to see them scream and burn for eternity?

I’m pretty sure the answer is ‘no’.

“Do you think the Divine so low as to not have compassion for one of His/Her own?”

So why is it that some people expect God to do this? What an insult to this all-knowing, all-encompassing Father/Mother figure. Do you think the Divine so low as to not have compassion for one of His/Her own? This is one of the most devastating myths we have ever been told and it was invented to literally make us fear something which certainly has not got anything to do with fear.

The Divine Source/God/Infinite Oneness is all about love.

Don’t Suppress Your Divinity through Fear

The vision of hell keeps us trapped in fear and entices us to buy into the various doctrines or religions that claim to prevent this damnation from occurring. It is a way of suppressing your true divinity by making you fear a made up scenario.

This is a game of entrapment through a web of fear.

Set The Truth Free

The truth is that we will never be judged or damned, we are all holding a shard of the Divine within us.

“Not all religions or doctrines are necessarily bad, they have many great truths in them, although sometimes misconstrued along the way…”

This truth will not allow for such lies to hold any more credence and as we all start to claim our own divinity we will see these old institutions crumble and/or, for the institutions that are willing to bend to incorporate this truth, we will see a restructuring in various doctrines to allow for this ‘new’ human attribute.

The Evolution of Mankind

Not all religions or doctrines are necessarily bad, they have many great truths in them, although sometimes misconstrued along the way, but all that needs to be done is to redefine some texts and have them be more flexible to allow for a changing world and evolution of attitude.

There is no better analogy than that of the human ‘family’ that we treasure so and put so much emphasis on. We do this because it is real, unconditional love and it is the closest we are going to get to understand the complexities of unconditional love for ourselves.

This has been taken from my latest book ‘Divine You — Redefining Love in the New Earth’ which is now available.

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Do You Understand Unconditional Love?

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Playing with Words

Now let’s cast aside all cheesy connotations of the word and let’s have a closer look at it…LOVE.

L O V E.

Yes, but what does it mean?

Now I like to play with words and I think it is fascinating that word like disease broken down are ‘dis-ease’ and ‘remember’ is to ‘re-member’ (become a part of the whole again), so love backwards begins to spell…evol – ve? Maybe…evol – ution…could be. Just a thought…

Aren’t we all progressively trying to evolve in one way or another? Could love be the catalyst for evolution?

To Love Unconditionally

Love is more than a word or chemical reaction in the brain telling us how we feel. Love is the Universal language of emotion. It can even be called the ultimate emotion. Or going out on a limb, the only true emotion – the one that leads back to Source.

“We say we love unconditionally but in reality our love always comes with conditions attached.”

There are of course ‘different’ types of love. The love a mother has for a child, the romantic kind of love, brotherly/sisterly love, love for thy neighbor, and the list goes on. You get the picture. But what does it really mean?

Love is unconditional. Another word that most people roll their eyes at…what is unconditional? We say we love unconditionally but in reality our love always comes with conditions attached. Think about it.

Do you love your partner unconditionally? No, I hear you say. Okay, why? Well, because there is the fear of them leaving or, even worse, leaving me for someone else. Fear, another wonderful concept that I delve into in my new book ‘Divine You’ (now available at all good bookstores!).

Understanding Love

To love unconditionally is best likened to the parental type of love. Even though it goes to say that even some parents love with attachments — this is most typically found in Western and even in Eastern cultures where parents tend to live through their children and do not let the children experience their own desires. But typically a parent loves their child (ren) unconditionally.

” A parent will love their child even if that child does something unspeakable…”

This is the closest we are going to get in this 3D realm to what unconditional love really looks like. A parent will love their child even if that child does something unspeakable. Even if your child were to commit a serious crime. You wouldn’t just stop loving your child if they were to murder someone.

You might be devastated but you will still love them.

Turning off Judgment to Experience Love

Love is something you can’t switch off. But judgment is. Judgment can be switched off, it just takes time and practice. I say this because our need to judge continuously clouds our need to love unconditionally.

“We judge in others what we don’t like about ourselves.”

Isn’t that what this is really about? We blind ourselves through judgment of others. Why? Because everyone is mirrored back to us. We judge in others what we don’t like about ourselves.

I will continue more on this topic in Thursdays blog (please click the ‘follow’ button in the sidebar if you wish to be instantly updated when blogs are released). This has been an extract from my latest book ‘Divine You — Redefining Love in the New Earth’ which is now available.

VIEW ALL AVAILABLE BOOKS HERE

Why 3 Is A Magic Number

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

This is an extract from the second chapter — about The Trinity — in my latest book ‘Divine You — Redefining Love in the New Earth’ now available through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, WHSmith and Waterstones Bookstores.

The Power of 3

The number 3 is a metaphor for the catalyst — it is the number of action.

“Father, Son and Holy Spirit are an expression for the Divine within you, your true, raw and, in most cases, unrealized potential.”

In this case, the action required to bring about Heaven on Earth, or HOME (Heaven on Mother Earth) as I like to call it, through a massive awakening in us and our ability to merge this sacred trinity together — within ourselves — to embrace and be one with the Divine. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are an expression for the Divine within you, your true, raw and, in most cases, unrealized potential.

The concept of mind, body and spirit is a powerful trio and trinity in itself. When closely examined, it could be considered as a metaphor for the sacred oneness of the Divine, duality (our embodiment), and the unity of consciousness (the realization that we are all One that makes up the Whole again). A closed circuit of continuous Divine energy.

The Splinter In Your Mind

When you realize that the ‘splinter’ in your mind, that one thing that you sense is out of kilter but you can’t seem put your finger on, is the remembrance of your true state of existence then you can begin to piece together the memories of your Divine self.

“What a wonderful representation of the trinity when it is symbolized as the triangle – it will never change its shape, unbending and durable.”

The splinter is that part of you, the true self, trying to come out and manifest in this 3D plane of existence. Yes, there it is again – the 3 even crops up in reference to the dimension we infer ourselves to be most present in.

The triangle is a perfect example of the 3, the sturdiest shape possible. The only ‘perfect’ figure which if all endpoints have hinges will never change its shape unless the sides themselves are bent. What a wonderful representation of the trinity when it is symbolized as the triangle – it will never change its shape, unbending and durable. This is a remarkable example of our uncompromising totality.

Tune in for more…

Over the next few weeks I will be taking some more juicy extracts from my book to give you a taste of what Divine You is all about. So please stay tuned as I tempt you with more teachings on reclaiming your innate Divine power…press the ‘follow’ button on the sidebar to get e-mail notifications of new blogs.

This book encourages the reader to re-examine some fundamental qualities to living a happy and content life. It looks at the importance of forgiveness, why it is imperative not to judge, how to use the Law of Attraction, present moment awareness, what unconditional love really looks like, how to vanquish fear, awakening the unity that is the christ-consciousness seed within you and lots more.

GET YOUR FREE COPY OF ‘CREATIVE EXPRESSION’ HERE

How Can Everyone Be Divine?

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

This is an extract from the first chapter in my latest book ‘Divine You — Redefining Love in the New Earth’ now available through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, WHSmith and Waterstones Bookstores.

Are We Really Divine?

Is it really a surprise that instead of searching outside of yourself for a savior to come and save you that, indeed, you are that savior?

The cliché that everything you’ll ever need is within you is now appearing to be an absolute truth. In fact, truth is better defined as integrity which is an undivided completeness and/or a state of totality with nothing wanting. It is a much easier, and if I might say, lazier route to hand over the job of spirituality and the understanding of the ‘God’ concept to someone or something else outside of yourself.

“…we must never hand our power over to anything or anyone outside of ourselves.”

This is what has happened through the various religions and even some of the ‘new age’ practices. You are handing your power over to someone else. If we are to take back control over our destiny and life as we know it on this planet, we must never hand
our power over to anything or anyone outside of ourselves.

We are powerful Divine beings.

What It Really Means To Be Christ-Like

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

“Words are powerful tools of both positive and negative vibration.”

This is why I feel that the stories of Jesus Christ were tales of spiritual morality that encompassed compassion, empathy, non-judgment and love. When someone speaks his or her truth there is always a resonance within the words being said that will affect you positively. Words are powerful tools of both positive and negative vibration.

So, when Jesus spoke his truth, it resonates within because fundamentally we know what it sounds like as everyone has this form of integrity inside them and that is how we recognize it.

Our truths are buried deep inside and the whole process of enlightenment is to shine a light on it and to bring ourselves into complete clarity and wholeness.

More Tasty Tit-Bits To Come…

Over the next few weeks I will be taking some more juicy extracts from my book to give you a taste of what Divine You is all about. Please stay tuned…

GET YOUR FREE COPY OF ‘CREATIVE EXPRESSION’ HERE

Your World, Your Life

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

I would like to share with you the outro of my book (‘Divine You’). It is a poem I wrote just before I started the endeavour that was the undertaking of writing this self-empowerment guide. It encapsulates the journey of this book and I hope it will whet your appetite.

So for now, I’ll leave you with this…

Your World, Your Life…

Your world begins and ends with you
You are in control, the master of your destiny

You are the constant observer of your world
You are the choice maker
Your choices create your world

You will know the crossroads when you see them
Think hard about who you are and what you want
Your decisions are never wrong unless you don’t learn from them
And are grateful when they are the right decisions

We make mistakes so we can learn
We have to make mistakes so we know what we want from life
It is never too late to alter your destiny or to right a wrong

Forgiveness is vital along your path
To forgive helps you to extinguish anger
It is not designed to indemnify the perpetrator
It is there to help you move on

To forgive yourself is a difficult task
It is also a most vital task

You were made perfect
You doubt yourself through the eyes and opinions of others
Be mindful of what you say to others and what is said to you

You know you are Divine, you know you are perfect
Compliments or criticisms from others should be taken lightly
Only you know your soul
Only you can evaluate yourself

If you let criticism into your heart you are agreeing with it
You will pick up a lot of this kind of ‘baggage’ along the way
Just remember it is easy to break the agreement if you do not concur

Only you know who you are
Only you can make the agreement

Never assume anything, assumptions only cause confusion
Make sure you know the facts

The world is your oyster, you are never to young or too old
Your dreams will become reality if you believe it
Thoughts are the second most powerful force in the Universe
Love is the first

Love yourself and you will have endless love for others
Hold love in your heart and the world will open up for you
See everyone in the world as a part of you, a collective Oneness
Treat them like you would treat yourself

Love begets love, fear begets fear
Again, the choice is yours

This is it

Choose

~ Cherie Roe Dirksen

My book ‘Divine You — Redefining Love in the New Earth’ is now available at Barnes & Noble Bookstore.

Don’t forget that you can also download your FREE copy of

‘Creative Expression — How to find your inspiration…’ HERE

or click on the link below to order your paperback copy for $19.99:

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

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

“It may help to remember that in the cosmic design, pain is neutral. In the physical world, pain motivates us negatively, while pleasure motivates us positively. True freedom is letting go of our attachment to both. The best way to begin this process is developing a state of witness consciousness through practices such as meditation and mindful awareness.” ~ D. Chopra

This extract was taken out of the latest Deepak Chopra blog, please click on the link below to read the full article — it is definitely worth the read:

Balance. Heal. Transform. The Chopra Center Blog.

Hitting the Nail on the Head

I think that Dr Chopra really hit the nail on the head with the statement above. It is, synchronistically, a topic that I was just trying to convey to a friend of mine.

It is quite difficult to explain that one needs to disengage or detach from any perception of good or bad, that there only is.

Your mind has been trained to mentally label things or situations as either positive or negative. We can choose to view anything, as was mentioned in the above quotation, as a conscious witness. This means detaching from judgment and the need to apply a label.

“…any past trauma or early childhood inhibition could seriously stop you from trying a new venture.”

When you commit to any creative endeavour, one must clear the path, so to speak, of any loose debris that might be clouding your way. For instance, any past trauma or early childhood inhibition could seriously stop you from trying a new venture.

Do you feel unworthy?

The Self Worth Issue

Let me cut through all the BS and get straight down to the brass tacks here. Everyone is worthy. If you are not feeling self-worth then you have probably set yourself up with a life lesson(s) to experience this feeling.

“This means that you take responsibility for agreeing to whatever or whoever made you feel unworthy.”

Your job is to identify where, in your past, you first agreed to take on this role. This means that you take responsibility for agreeing to whatever or whoever made you feel unworthy (please read The 4 Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz for more about this very important subject of the agreements we make and how it affects our lives).

This may sound harsh but we must get real now or face the consequences of always feeling victimized. When you carry a victim mentality you will never feel that you can be self-empowered.

It Takes 2 to Tango

So, the first step is to take responsibility for your choices. And please do this with compassion for yourself and for whomever else may be involved. When we agree to take on a lesson, it usually takes two souls to tango.

“…it is so important for us to be able to forgive and to not judge.”

This means that there is usually a ‘bad guy’ (or gal) but if we could view this from a perspective that is beyond the veil of our current reality, we may find that the ‘bad guy’ is posing as such to help us fulfill a soul lesson on the deepest of levels. This is why it is so important for us to be able to forgive and to not judge.

When we are able to see, with clarity, the root point at which the conflict took place, we are able to glean the necessary teaching from it. When we are able to do this, we are able to forgive and move on in our lives.

Where has this teaching or lesson taken you?

What have you learnt from it?

Can you agree to accept the lesson with gratitude and move on?

Letting Go to Move On

If you can truly let go of a past trauma, you will feel the absolute liberation of taking back your power. When you accept responsibility for your actions and choices, you become self-empowered, knowing that nothing in this Universe happens by chance — you are at the very heart of every experience you have chosen.

Now to the Creativity Part…

When you commit to a creative project, whether it be in music, writing, art or any other form of creative expression, it is important to be grounded in your integrity.

“This is why it is important to face your demons and start a creative endeavour with a clean slate.”

If you are, say for instance, writing from a place of knowledge but lack the wisdom for which you write, you are lacking a certain portion of integrity. In other words, if you want to write about something that you know a lot about but have not actually experienced or passed the learning thereof, you are not coming from a place of true integrity. This is why it is important to face your demons and start a creative endeavour with a clean slate.

You can of course start anything without doing the groundwork but your success is usually stunted when you know you are not acting from true source. If you believe in yourself 100% there is nothing that will get in your way of true creativity or success.

To kick-start this day off, I am offering subscribers a FREE PDF copy of ‘Creative Expression — How to find Your Inspiration’ (CLICK HERE).

How to find your inspiration…copy of my book ‘Creative Expression — How to find your inspiration…’ HERE (or click on the book cover). Subscription to the site is 100% free, no hidden agendas — I only wish to share this book with you.

If you would like to order the paperback version of this book, you can do that HERE.

The Baboon and The Butter — Part 2

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Cherie Roe Dirksen

Read Part 1 HERE

Carnage!

More baboons had slipped inside my house as I was pursuing my perpetrators. This time I grabbed the garden hose, turned it on and ran into my front door ‘guns blazing’.

Another Interesting Fact About Baboons…

Baboons don’t like getting sprayed with water ( a small God send). They took one look at the hose pipe and made a run for it without me even having to start spraying. Relief! I ran around my house making sure the windows were all closed so that no more monkey business could ensue.

The Big Clean Up!

To cut a long story short, my house was in a shambles. They had trashed my kitchen. If I hadn’t been so adamant to retrieve my butter I would have saved myself a lot of money and trouble.

After cleaning up the mess (which took me close to an hour), I sat on my couch head in hands, just thinking about the pandemonium that had just taken place. I saw several blatant lessons in what had just happened…

“…this day showed me that even a tub of butter could spark off a suppressed ego…”

The moral to this story for me was the realisation that I am still attached to ‘things’. I thought I had conquered my worldly attachment in my pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. But this day showed me that even a tub of butter could spark off a suppressed ego — this was certainly food for my thought.

A Lesson Learned…

We can all fall off the bandwagon but the real lesson is to get back on. I learnt that it was alright to lapse and make mistakes (even if this did mean chasing a wild animal without fear of consequence and putting myself in very real danger). The key is to see and be aware of the lapse and to make every effort to not let it happen again or even just to laugh at it when it does.

So let go of material attachments as everything is unstable and situations are changing constantly. I felt that I had paid good, hard-earned money for that butter and it was mine! But what was even more precious than something I bought at the store was my life. I put myself in danger over a petty ‘issue’ that I constructed in my mind and followed through on and I hope that never happens again.

Sometimes we need to detach from these ‘worldly’ things — after all, we are free spirits and should remain that way.

Free from rigidity.
Free from fear.
Free to live.

Free to choose.

I took the above photographs on the ‘Baboon Walk’ I did.

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Calm Dialogue versus Dramatization

Seek Out Compassion and Understanding and Venom Dissolves

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Adrift in a Sea of Bad News?

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The Here and Now

Self-Love or Bust!

The Secret Revealed

Hippy Thinking or Revolutionary Insight?

Whether You or the Animal is Lunch

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We’ve all feared, at some point in our lives, what other people think of us but here are 9 reasons to let go of the opinions of others for our own good:

1. Smoke and Mirrors

2. Self-Realization and Repair Kits

3. Inherent Beauty and Perfection

4. Dissecting Agreements

5. Piecing Together Your Puzzle

6. That Tricky Enigma Called Universal Appeal

7. Acknowledge the Good

8. Identify the Judge

9. Know Thyself!

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1. Quality Sleep

2. Berry Boost

3. Time Productivity

4. Breathing

5. Let Loose

6. Keep it Clean

7. Eat Well

8. Creative Space

9. Gratitude

10. Reflect

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