Cristen Rodgers's Blog, page 16

July Affirmation

 

“I drink inspiration from this world like nectar from a flower.  Even as I admire its bright outer petals, I am enthralled by the exquisite splendor of what’s hiding deeper within.”

Speak Your Truth, not Your Mind

Every living thing – people and plants, stars and streams alike – has a unique voice.  This unique voice allows them to express the essence of who they are, what they know, and how they feel.  With it they can sing out loud the song of their distinctive soul.

Everything speaks – the flowers speak in color and form, the wind through the ecstatic dance of movement and sound, and the sun uses the language of energy and light.  We as humans have the gift of speaking with all of these and more; we speak in words and color, movement, light, and sound; we use our hands, our voices, our actions, and the power our hearts.

Quite unlike other living things, the ways in which we can speak are almost infinite – we can speak the truth or a lie, we can speak clearly or in riddles, we can speak with language or with art, with good intent or with bad.

Though gifted with countless ways and means of expression, we each have within us one voice that has more purity, more power, and more purpose than any other.  This one voice arises from deep within us; it is the voice of the spirit and it speaks in the language of the soul.

We know when we are speaking with this inner voice by the way that it feels.  When we give it life, when we allow it to pour forth from our soul and trickle out into the world, there is an uprising of passion within us, tempered only by a sense of complete peace.

When this sacred voice comes rushing forth, it’s almost as if little bits of our soul get embedded in whatever medium we use to express it, much like a vessel can be embedded with bits of the material it carries.  Our words, music, or art becomes a holy container that carries the most valuable gift that we have to give to the world – the magic of who we really are.

Finding our voice, transitioning from silence to song and from reserve to release, isn’t always easy.  Often times, it must get loud enough and cause such a roar inside that it begins to shake the walls that contain it before we are ready to risk letting it out into the world.  The more that it wells up and creates pressure within, the more that those walls begin to crumble – but it’s up to us to complete the job by slowly and diligently chipping away at the bricks that still remain.

These inner walls don’t go up overnight.  They go up slowly, one brick at a time – one censure from a teacher or a parent, one dissent from our peers, one dismissal from someone we care about, one misunderstanding at a time.  They go up to protect us from what we fear.  They protect us from judgments, criticisms, and disapproval; they protect us from being ignored and the risk of being discourteous.

Sometimes, we fear that others won’t accept the unique vessel through which our souls speak the clearest and loudest – our words, our art, our movements, or our manipulation of matter.  When others don’t respond well to our unique method of expression, we silence that expression in favor of another and incidentally quiet our inner voice.

Whatever our individual fears, we must choose to look them in the eye and defy them, because this sacred voice can only speak when we willingly break open our hearts and embrace our vulnerability.  We must accept that we will sometimes be ignored, criticized, and make others uncomfortable – and we must accept this because we owe it not only to ourselves but also to others to share our love, our insights, and our compassion in our own inimitable way.

There’s a reason that we each have the unique voice that we do – because someone out there will understand that love, those insights, or that compassion best when it’s expressed in that particular way that only we can.

Finding our voice doesn’t mean that we must express everything that we think or respond to everything that happens or is said.  Finding our voice means that we have opened ourselves up inside so that when the time is right, the spirit will speak through us in the distinctive methods of our unique soul – and we are able to do this in such a way as to be kind and uplifting even when the situation seems to defy it.   Rather than simply responding to the world, we are using the power of our self-expression to shape the world.

In this age of media empires that thrive on manufacturing emotional uprising and on perpetuating frenzied expression, it’s important that we not only find our voice but that we know it.

We know our true voice by the respect it demands – not from others but from ourselves.  Our true voice, arising from within the spirit, speaks only in truth.  Because truth is timeless, this inner voice is never rushed – and it is careful and conscientious in its expression so as to avoid confusion or misrepresentation.  When we confuse finding our voice with speaking our minds, we often end up over-simplifying or over-generalizing our truth, and in the process we risk creating more confusion instead of bringing more understanding.

Our true voice arises when we want to express, to share, and to create; whereas the chatter of the mind and the roar of emotions often arise when we want to prove, to display, or to denounce something.  Perhaps more now than ever, we are subtly encouraged to instantly express our thoughts, beliefs, or perception of what we see and hear.  But now more than ever, our voices are often set sail on winds that will take them around the world and back, ending wherever and with whomever they might – we thus would be wise to be vigilant with where that voice is originating.

Do we want to contribute to the ongoing cacophony of ill-conceived and uncensored thoughts or do we want to release the soothing and subtle sound of our unhindered soul?

Let your voice be heard, my friend, because the world needs the gift of your unique insights, of your sacred love, and of your deepest knowledge.  But let not that voice be defiled by the need for immediate expression, tainted by a temporary emotion, or lost to poor translation.  Sing for us the song of your beautiful soul and gift us with the magic of who you really are because who you really are is what the world desperately needs.

©2016 Cristen Rodgers

Light Dancers

 

Let’s nurture our spirits until they shine and then let’s strip down to our naked souls and dance through life until we drop little bits of light behind us that glow like fireflies in the night.

 

©2015 Cristen Rodgers

Beneath the Cloak of Invisibility

 

Sometimes the things that can’t be seen are those with the greatest power.  Just like the wind is far more than the occasional rustle of a leaf; our thoughts, dreams, and fears are far more than the occasional image passing through our skulls.  Though cleverly cloaked in invisibility, they are made up of raw energy – and this energy is the starting point of everything that we create in our lives.  It’s the birthplace of the relationships we engage in, the adventures we take, and the lessons we learn; and it’s the resting place of those that we don’t.

The things that hide in our heads and that are tucked within our hearts are powerful; and acknowledging this isn’t always easy, because it means facing the truth that most of our suffering comes not from external energy but from using our internal energy haphazardly.  After all, to be human is to be imperfect and even the happiest and most successful among us have had moments when we could have wielded that power more responsibly.

It’s natural to do a little reflecting after arriving at this truth – to take a good look at the thoughts, feelings, and emotions that we entertain the most and to assess what influence they’ve had on our experiences.  Kept at a healthy level, this kind of contemplation can help us grow and become more conscious of what we’re creating.  We must take care, however, not to water those seeds of criticism with too much attention, for if we do they will quickly grow into poisonous thorns of guilt and shame.

When we allow ourselves to get lost in the thickets of guilt for the damaging thoughts we’ve entertained or the negative emotions we’ve gotten swept up in, we only end up giving that energy an even greater charge – and the stronger it gets the more likely it is to show itself in our external world.  One of the most common ways that it does this is by subtly influencing the way that we think about other people.  Because guilt and shame are heavy and they make us feel low, we often end up projecting that criticism that we gave ourselves onto others.  This brings them down to our level, at least in our minds, giving our ego the sensation of rising higher.

By using the same truth that made us feel ashamed in the first place – that we are each responsible for what we create – we are able to rationalize turning away from those who are suffering, who are lacking, and who have made mistakes.  We tell ourselves that it’s not our job, not our place, or not our problem; and this is how the fog of apathy manages to descend upon the once open heart.  It disguises itself as detachment and creeps in under the shadow of our own guilt.  This steep fall from the light of awareness into the shadows of shame then perpetuates our inner shame and their outer struggle by holding us back from our natural inclination to help those in need.

Our thoughts, beliefs, and emotions are like seeds – the more that we plant a particular seed, the greater the chance that something will take root.  Also like a seed, our thoughts, fears, dreams, and emotions will yield the same results regardless of which way they are facing.  It doesn’t matter whether we are secretly thinking and feeling something about ourselves or about someone else.  All that matters is the quality of those seeds – positive and uplifting or degrading and destructive, wildflowers or thorns.

Many great teachers have told us that the secret to true and lasting happiness, peace, and love is to treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves.  What’s important to remember is that this rule doesn’t just apply to the things that can be seen but also to those that cannot, to the way that we think and feel about others, the dreams that we hold for them or the fears that we project upon them – and because what we feel, fear, and love about others is often a reflection of what we see in ourselves, the best place to start is with how we look to ourselves when we gaze into the mirrors of our heart and mind.

One thing that cannot be seen is often more influential than a thousand things that can.  Just like one gust of wind can carry more power than a thousand leaves caught in its fury, one thought can incite more change than a thousand steps taken while it’s unfolding.  Once we allow this truth to seep down into our souls, we realize that one of the most important things we can do on our path of development is to have compassion on ourselves, to be forgiving of our faults, and to practice self-love.  This doesn’t negate our responsibility and it doesn’t hinder our growth.  On the contrary, it is perhaps the noblest way of accepting that responsibility and the fastest path to growth because the energy that we can’t see within us in this moment is more powerful than a thousand things we can see that we’ve done in moments past.

So go ahead and take a good look at what kind of life you’ve been growing and don’t be afraid to face the truth about the quality of the seeds you have buried inside; but do so with eyes softened by compassion and a heart opened for love, because only by changing how you think and feel now will you be able to rewrite the story unfolding from what you thought and felt back then.

©2016 Cristen Rodgers

 

 

 

June Affirmation

Here is the Affirmation for the month of June.  May the use of this affirmation help you find your center, remain open, and keep your fire burning all through this summer month.

“I always keep my eyes, mind, and heart wide open.  I have the courage to feel, the strength to be, and the flexibility to see all that is real, true, and sincere.”

©2016 Cristen Rodgers

For more information about affirmations and how to use an affirmation, you can check out my article on the topic here.

 

The Sculptor of Your Life

You, my dear, are a creator – and you are perpetually in the throes of artistic design.  Even now, as you read these words, you are crafting a masterpiece of such proportions that it will take an entire lifetime to complete.  Your every inhale is like the whisper of a pen over paper.  Your every smile is a splash of color on a canvas, and each endeavor is like a spin of the potter’s wheel.  You are an artist and your life is your art.

Like a sculptor who sacrifices the stone that is for the carving that will be, you have learned well how to sacrifice now for what may come later, and to sacrifice who you are for who you wish to become.  You’ve grown quite adept at wielding willpower as your creative tool – relying on blood, sweat, and tears, judging yourself harshly, and working diligently to round off your rough edges, cut away the extra bits, and stretch yourself thin enough to fit the mold that was given to you by your schools, family, religion, and peers.

But just like any art, life develops one layer at a time – and each layer requires a unique method and the use of different tools.  You have come as far as you can with force, my dear, and now it’s time to change tools.  Just like tirelessly hacking away at clay won’t make a great sculpture, constantly hacking away at yourself won’t make a great life.  Both must be followed by a gentler, more forgiving approach if they are to yield beauty rather than chaos – where normally you would apply willpower you must learn how to refine with acceptance, and where you once used sharpness now you must begin working with love.

It’s time to move beyond the role of the apprentice who forces the clay to conform to her idea of beauty; it’s time to become the master who works to reveal the beauty already latent within it.

You have a natural urge to reach this higher level of artistry; and that urge will have its way, even at your own expense.  This is why you blow your diet and your budget, or why you squander time, relationships, or otherwise act against your best interest.  Your spirit is trying to shake you, to make you see that it’s time to give up the old method of force and to try working with flow.  It wants you to realize that it’s not about the art you create as much as it’s about the artist that’s creating – that there’s no point in accomplishing great things if you’re abusing yourself, always pushing, always fighting to get there.

The time has come for you to transition into the next layer of your art, to reclaim your position and your purpose; the time has come for you to remember that you are a creator and that your life is your art – and for you to really begin considering what that means.  A masterpiece isn’t painted with the observer in mind.  It isn’t forced to conform to the specifications of a frame or to the taste of the audience.  It flows freely from the soul of the artist; and its purpose is nothing less and nothing more than the spark of passion, the splash of love, and the freedom of expression that drives the artist to paint.

So also it will be with your life once you let go of the idea that there’s a certain way it’s supposed to look, once you lay down force and replace it with acceptance, freedom, and love as your creative tools.  Once you start working with what’s right in you, start focusing on what’s beautiful about you, and stop worrying and fussing over what’s not.

This is how the master painter, poet, and singer creates; and it’s also how the master sculpts a life.  The use of force is only ever meant to be temporary and must eventually be put aside, for great art withers under pressure and it refuses judgment; but given patient attention and tender care, it will present itself to the artist freely and without toil like a flower that blooms regardless of the gardener’s care.  Most importantly, it’s a pleasure and not a chore to craft each new layer as it is slowly revealed, because it’s done out of passion and not obligation.

©2016 Cristen Rodgers

Broken Rocks

 

Reflection:

We are all rocks fallen away from the same great mountain, sometimes finding our way back home by grace.  There’s no point in throwing stones because, no matter what shape they may take, even they are just another piece of us.

©2016 Cristen Rodgers

May Affirmation

I can adjust my sails according to the winds that are blowing without changing my direction.  Like the water that I sail upon, my strength lies in my ability to have purpose while remaining pliant.

copyright 2015

I Would Rather be Strange

To those who would call me strange, I say that I would rather be your kind of strange than mine because, to me, strange is denying the truth of our nature.

To me, strange is ignoring the pull of the moon’s tides in our veins simply because we can’t yet measure its influence.

Strange is pretending that our bones aren’t made of the same dust that’s beneath our feet, or that our bodies aren’t filled with the same water that crashes in waves on the shores.

To me, strange would be to deny kinship with the animals, even though we’re born of the same union between the earth and the sky.

What I consider strange is clinging to one identity, like a summer that refuses to concede to the coming autumn.  And stranger still is to reject our responsibility to one another, like a maple tree denying the birds and squirrels a home in its branches.

To those who would call me improper, I say that I would rather be your kind of improper than mine because, to me, improper is the desecration of our mother earth.

To me, improper is interrupting the natural flow of water through her veins.

Improper is poisoning her breath with pesticides while tearing down her lungs with tractors.

To me, improper is raping the land and forcing her to give birth out of season, while wondering why she seems to fight us every step of the way.

What I consider improper is the way we’ve drawn imaginary lines across her body for so long that we think they’re real and, even worse, that they will somehow prevent the cancer from spreading.

Improper is that no one seems to mourn a freshly stripped forest, as if its roots weren’t also our own; and pretending that what’s done to it isn’t also done to us all.

To those who would call me weird, I say that I would rather be your kind of weird than mine because, to me, weird is choosing an imitation over the real thing.

To me, weird is covering my feet with dead leather instead of walking barefoot on the living earth and feeling her heart beating beneath me.

Weird is covering ourselves with chemicals to protect our bare skin from the same sun that helped to create it.

To me, weird is needing entertainment when every evening a great invisible artist comes out to paint one stroke of color at a time across the entire sky until the day’s blue transitions into midnight’s black.

What I find weird is the way that we’re taught to fear the wild, as if we are not wild ourselves.

Weird is how we’re supposed to trust what comes from a factory but not what came before that factory existed.  Even weirder is the way that we eat food from a bag while we bulldoze the forest, or we hide from the rain and then go home to take a shower.

To those who would call me naive, I say I would rather be your kind of naive than mine because, to me, naive is believing that the creator is separate from her creation.

Naïve is believing that the Painter feels no pain when you spoil her canvas.  It’s pretending that the Great Writer’s soul doesn’t live in the poems she carves out in the rivers and the songs that she sings on the wind.

To me, naïve is calling for God’s help as we slay sparks of her soul that live in the fields and the forests, in the corals, the coasts and the clouds; and more naïve still is to convince ourselves that those sparks were never there.

What I consider naïve is the assumption that we can kill pieces of a body without its consciousness slowly dying.

Naïve is expecting that we can hollow out the ground beneath our feet and somehow remain standing.

To me, naive is incessantly talking to God rather than shutting up long enough to hear to what she’s been trying to tell us all along.

To those who would call me strange, I say that I would rather be your kind of strange than mine because, to me, strange is listening to the weather but not hearing the wind.  It’s living under the sun but never seeing the light.  Strange is drinking earth’s water but never swallowing the truth.

To those who would call me strange, I say let them call me strange; this is a title I will happily accept, because in a world that lives in denial, the truth will sound false.  I accept it because in a society of conformists, authenticity will seem rebellious and because when it’s built on dualism, oneness will be frightening.

I say let them call me strange, because if it’s strange to live as my mother intends rather than according to what my brothers and sisters pretend, then I would rather be their kind of strange than mine.

©2016 Cristen Rodgers

 

Seeds of Intention

We are all gardeners, planting seeds of intention and watering them with attention in every moment of every day.

copyright 2015