Tag: Sharks On My Fin Tips

We Are Instruments

We Are Instruments

Will Kimbrough
Will Kimbrough

The guitar and musician were within a few feet of me. His hands gently and purposefully changing frets and playing notes captured my attention. I found myself in a kind of trance watching and listening. Hearing not only the music, I heard my inner voice clearly say: We are instruments. Just like the guitar can sit and be silent or allow the touch of Spirit to move through and create beautiful gifts for the world.

Will Kimbrough
Will Kimbrough

I allowed this mantra to flow throughout my being like a trickle of water from head to toe. I felt my body become hollow and filled with the essence of Spirit. It didn’t last that long because Will began singing lyrics again and so my attention was drawn back to his voice. And yet the idea expanded as I saw his hands as instruments, his voice and realized that each of us have the capacity to be instruments of Love…Life…the Creative Force.

Kerry Parks, glass artist creating one of her beautiful pieces of art
Kerry Parks, glass artist creating one of her beautiful pieces of art

We have freedom of choice. We can resist the Creative Impulsive that desires to fill us and flow through us or we can be open and receptive instruments.

Armondo owns a cave diving site in Akumal, Mexico and carves beautiful statues to honor the Earth. His energy is spent in this endeavor.
Armondo owns a cave diving site in Akumal, Mexico and carves beautiful statues to honor the Earth.

So what’s the secret to doing this? Perhaps its different for everyone but there are common threads of courage, determination, surrender, a playful spirit.

Anthony Crawford of Sugarcane Jane and Willie Sugarcapps
Anthony Crawford of Sugarcane Jane and Willie Sugarcapps

Have you ever watched someone in the process of creating? What do you notice? In others I am aware of them going into a sort of meditative state or zone where they allow their gifts to express freely without filtering or resisting. For my own creative endeavors its a complete surrender to being present in the moment and allowing inspiration to move me without judging or criticizing. The key is being in the flow.

simonelipscomb (23)There are endless ways we can be instruments of the Creative Flow (or whatever label you wish to call it). It can be as simple as interacting with others every day with an open heart. Or allowing Love to love through us to animals, friends, the Earth. There are no bounds or limits to Love flowing through us except those we impose.

Savana Lee Crawford of Sugarcane Jane and Willie Sugarcapps
Savana Lee Crawford of Sugarcane Jane and Willie Sugarcapps

Let it come through your voice….

Will and his mom at The Frog Pond
Will and his mom at The Frog Pond

Your hands…..

Your words….

sharksweb_med

Excerpt about a dive from, Sharks On My Fin Tips: “Everywhere I looked life was evident… As I moved, I absentmindedly started to hum a tune. From what depths did the song come? It seemed to come from my heart and was quite pleasant so I allowed it to find expression by humming through my scuba regulator. It was not easy to emit any sound because the mouthpiece occupied the majority of space in my mouth, but I made the effort to let the music come forth.

The more I droned, the stronger the emotion became until I felt a constriction in my throat. The sensation was so strong I had to stop humming and take a deep breath. When I halted I heard an answering refrain from somewhere outside myself. Without hesitation I knew it to be the song of the Ocean.

With the realization came a wave of joy so powerful that I sobbed into my regulator and tears flooded my mask. The presence I felt earlier in the dive grew larger in my awareness. It became tangible and very real to me. I felt it surround me like a warm blanket.

The consciousness of the Mother Ocean was reaching out to me, tapping my heart with Her liquid fingers. It was Her song I had been singing…I hung motionless in the water column, overcome with the sweetest love I had ever felt.”

Kit & Steve Schmeiser hosting a Mountain Wild gathering in Asheville, NC
Kit & Steve Schmeiser hosting a Mountain Wild gathering in Asheville, NC

Allow yourself to be open….a channel…an instrument for Love and see what magnificent wonders are born within you to gift to the world.

Virgin grove of trees in Tennessee...allow your hands to be instruments of Love...
Virgin grove of trees in Tennessee…allow your hands to be instruments of Love…

 

Wisdom in a Garden

Wisdom in a Garden

Beginnings of the garden
Beginnings of the garden

This morning found me once again in the new garden–the task was mulching. It wasn’t difficult. It was just repetitive and like the grass removal, the effort gave me time to reflect. During my working meditation the same ideas I wrote about yesterday surfaced and continued to give me tid bits to ponder.

Yesterday I realized that many of us find our value from things we do for others or in our jobs. We might even assign ourselves a task for helping our spouse or significant other. This role might become our entire reason for staying in the relationship. And once that task is completed, we feel we are of no value to the other person or that there is no need to stay in the relationship. We might justify our existence by what we do and when what we ‘do’ is no longer needed, we fade away.

The same thing applies in work environments. If we base our value on the role or job we have, when that job ends we lose our value…at least in that way of thinking.

Amid scooping and spreading mulch this understanding kept growing….As the mulch pile decreased, the ideas increased.

There is danger in finding identity through what we do or our performance…rather than who we are at our core.

Over twenty-five years ago Thom Rutledge reminded me that my value doesn’t come from what I do. It was such a foreign concept he presented. I had based my entire life on approval for what I did. Not for who I was. Those layers are still peeling away and I understand on a deeper level exactly what he meant.

placecoverweb kidslowresfront2 sharkswebSuccess doesn’t come from how many books I sell or how much money I generate from hard work. If that were the case I’d be floating in cool cash after the past four days of labor in the garden. Perhaps success is really just about showing up, being present and living with an open heart and mind. I’m not sure yet…I’ll let you know in another 25 years.

Until then, I’ll be making my morning pilgrimage outdoors to unearth wisdom in a garden.

My daughter and future son-in-law's birthday garden gnome...watching over my courtyard.