Monday, May 30, 2011

GRATITUDE REALLY? FOR WHAT?

GRATITUDE REALLY? FOR WHAT?


“Change your thoughts, change your life.” (Dr. Wayne Dwyer)

I was contacted by one of my clients recently who was feeling overwhelmed and not in a good space. She told me that cleaning house constantly was a very ungratifying job and she was very close to using the “H” word to describe her feelings on the subject. She then asked me what to do to turn that around for her. My response was to do it with gratitude, do it as a service of love, as a gift for life.

She stopped talking and just looked at me for a moment. Finely she blurted out, “Gratitude? Really? For what? A service of love? A gift for life? You’re joking right?

I asked her what her least favorite chore is and laundry was the answer. I instructed her to consider what goes into doing the laundry. She still didn’t see what I meant and she told me to break it down for her so I did.

“Be grateful for the fact that you have the physical ability to do the job. Be grateful for the fact that you have a washer and dryer to help you (I’ve had to do it all by hand and that is not an easy task). Be grateful for the fact that you can afford to pay for the soap, water and electricity to run the appliances that help you. Be grateful that you have the clothes and linens to wash and someone to wash them for. Be grateful for the fact that you have a home to house the appliances that wash and dry the clothes, and the storage containers that you keep them in, and those you wash them for. Consider that you really love the people that you are doing this service for and that to them, it is a gift from you to make their life better …do you see now what I am talking about?” I asked her.

I was met with a long silence and then she said “Oh, now I get it, I think maybe laundry just might be my favorite gift of love for my family, thanks.” I answered, “You are welcome.”

This will work with anything you are feeling bad about, anything at all. The reason it works is because as you change the way you think about something, the way you think changes. You actually create changes in your brain chemistry for the better. As your chemistry changes, shooting ‘grateful chemicals’ into your system, your feelings change, your attitude changes and you feel better about what you’re doing. These changes in you will spill over on those around you so that everyone benefits from this seemingly unimportant decision. So give it a try and experience; Bright Blessings, Love, service and gratitude, Chessie

© Chessie Roberts 2011, all rights reserved

Sunday, May 22, 2011

SEEKING YOUR OWN LEVEL

SEEKING YOUR OWN LEVEL


As humans, we relate to others from our own perceptions. If a person is a thief, they see thievery in everyone around them, likewise, if a person is prone to lying, they assume that everyone lies. As enlightenment begins to occur and we learn to see things as they truly are, it becomes more and more apparent that we relate to others on our own level. As our vibrations rise and we begin living from a place of love and acceptance, those with whom we associate begins to change. Just as the wheat is separated from the chaff in the wind, those with whom we no longer vibrate leave our sphere of influence. It happens spontaneously and is not something we should be concerned about, the Universe takes care of that.

We ebb and flow just like the tide. Because adult human beings are 70% water we naturally seek others like ourselves just as water seeks its own level. Even thought we are like a drop of water in an ocean (part of all on Earth) we are pulled to a higher calling just as water changes states as it evaporates and rises to become vapor in order to become rain and nourish what is below. As we rise, we too change states so that we are able to nourish those around us. Those who are ready for what we have to offer will soak it up as we act in a worthy manner and vibrate where we are supposed to be. Those who are not ready just won’t get it and move on within their own realm of understanding, this is OK, and this is how enlightenment works.

As we rise higher than those around us, we must be aware that the ego has no place here. If someone gets so wrapped up in their new growth status that they wish others to notice and praise them for it their growth will stop. Our ego acts like a dam and stops our flow just as water can be stopped. This will lead to frustration and unhappiness and we will be of no good to our selves or anyone else. The ancient saying says that “before enlightenment we chop wood and carry water and after enlightenment we chop wood and carry water.” The difference in the before and after is that after we truly understand why we are chopping and carrying. We truly understand how our actions; done with understanding teaches and raises those around us. We do our mundane chores with a new joy, with a new humility, with a new feeling of freedom and bliss.

So be like water and seek your own level, wear down obstacles, sweep a clean path, change states as you need to achieve your enlightenment and do it all without ego, with grace, with love and joy.

Bright Blessings, Chessie

© Chessie Roberts 2011, all rights reserved

Sunday, May 15, 2011

STAYING IN THE NOW

STAYING IN THE NOW




This is a subject that seems to be in the foreground of a lot of seekers lately and one I too am working on. I find that 'staying in my now' helps me stay consciously aware of my thoughts and where they are at any given moment.

Just like everyone else’s, my mind wanders of its own volition, most often in the direction of what is next on my to-do-list and I have to gently bring it back to 'now'. The other direction is also often problematic, as in what “should I done instead of…”

I have found that the body, mind connection can be a difficult thing to harness; much like attempting to gently guide a rambunctious toddler. It is a process, like so many others, of constant awareness and action. Every time I catch myself in one of these ‘off directions’ I MUST stop that process and come back to my now. This needs to be done with love, understanding and compassion and forgiveness for our self. It should also be done without judgment or criticism, there is too much of that flying around out there as it is.

As I continue to remind myself of the importance of staying in my now, without judgment, apology, explanation or analysis of myself, I will attain the state of calm, clarity in the now for which I am searching. So I challenge you to do the same, love yourself, be gentle with yourself and become consciously aware of staying in your “now”. You will find a great peace as well as wonderful growth opportunities. Bright Blessings, Chessie

©2011, Chessie Roberts, All rights reserved

Sunday, May 8, 2011

COMPASSION

COMPASSION

Compassion is something that has been thought of as purely a human trait for many years. Recently humanity has finally become aware enough to see this virtue in animals. The dog that raises the motherless kittens, the dog that saves others; human and animal, the dolphin that pushes the infant that is floating beside the boat accident to safety and the list goes on. As the list grows, humans seem to get lower and lower on it.

With the death of America’s public enemy #1 and all the rejoicing that ensued I felt torn between compassion for America and compassion for the family of the dead man. Was I happy that he is dead? Not really, I  find that I am oddly taken by the entire event.

I saw this posted on FaceBook on May 2nd, 2011 and feel that it has much merit

"Compassion thought for the day: To have honor, means to act with honor and integrity at all times and to all people, even towards those who show none. So though death brought death, and vengeance brought vengeance - I hope honor will bring honor and this cycle will end. For to act dishonorably, no matter the reason, is dishonorable nonetheless. To act honorably, brings peace - even if at first only to ones self. (Jennifer Fagala)

I was reminded how we felt on seeing the towers fall. How watching the rejoicing of that event made us as a nation feel. I had to ask then and again now, where the honor in that jubilant reaction was. Thinking thusly, I wonder now, how we can act with the same dishonor and call it OK. I know that the initial event was heinous and awful but where does this type of behavior stop? If no one on this planet acts with honor and integrity, what we should expect but our own eventual extermination? We will just nasty away form our own lack of integrity, compassion and honor.

As like begets like shouldn’t we embrace compassion, honor, and virtue and integrity in order to create it? Spread it? Foster it so that it grows to engulf the planet so that healing for the common betterment begins? If not, then why are we here?

Bright Blessings, Chessie

© Chessie Roberts 2011 all rights reserved, quote used by permission

TO MOTHERS; A SPECIAL GIFT FROM THE UNIVERSE

TO MOTHERS; A SPECIAL GIFT FROM THE UNIVERSE


By Chessie Roberts of Evolution of Self; Journey into Body, Mind, Spirit Balance

Here’s to that first very personal, fleeting question teasing at the back of awareness,”Am I? Could it be possible? Now?

Here’s to the thrill of knowing and telling everyone, “Yes, I’m expecting! To the preparation, the waiting the celebrating, the wondering, Boy? Girl?

Here’s to the unique bond that is forged as you feel them grow, there, just under your heart all the while filling it, expanding it to dimensions never dreamed of before in your imaginings.

Here’s to the finding out and the realization that your life is about to change in ways you can only imagine.

Here’s to finding out you were so off the mark, those changes are more wonderful and terrifying that anything you could have thought up.

Here’s to the ‘firsts’, all of them the tiny and the huge. The ones that were important to them as well as the ones important to you.

Here’s to that gut wrenching paradigm shift that comes the first time you say/do something your mother used to say/do and you now truly understand the ‘why’ of it.

Here’s to the smiling support for their grand plans and the secret terror that they might get hurt. The pride in their accomplishments and the secret relief that your fears were for nothing.

Here’s to standing straight and tall, pride shining from you while you weep inside as they step out…

Here’s to watching them start their lives, on their own, in their own strength and with their own honor.

Here’s to stepping aside to enjoy learning their new family traditions and smiling warmly at the ones that they have held on to from the traditions that you taught them.

Here’s to laughing in private at their expectation of family, at their attempts at parenting while supporting them through their perceived failures. Holding them up and helping them find their strength in their new roles.

Here’s to attending the games and performances, babysitting and watching as their children grow into the wonderful people they are meant to be.

Here’s to the grace to becoming Grammie, to allowing them just to be. And through it all…

Here’s to that unique, special, indefinable bond, that special LOVE that makes you Mom. Happy Mothers’ Day

© Chessie Roberts 2011, all rights reserved

Sunday, May 1, 2011

WHAT WE THINK WE CARRY

WHAT WE THINK WE CARRY

“Don’t carry nothin’ that might be a load, just ease on down the road.” (from The Wiz)

Describe yourself in one word. That’s OK, I’ll wait…
What did you come up with? The color of your skin? Your job description? Your role in your family? Your religion? Hair color? Your ethnicity? Well I tell you that all of these ideas about what you think make up the real you, are just a load that you are carrying and you can put it down, if you choose to do so.

I’m reminded of the story about the young man who was looking for gold. He took a large back pack with him on his quest and when he found a rock he would carefully examine it to see if it was gold or not. As he determined that each rock in its turn was NOT the gold he was searching for, he placed the rock in his back pack. Pretty soon he was exhausted and sat down to rest. While he rested he looked into the back pack and wept because there were so many stones that were not gold. He felt defeated, helpless and without worth and so decided to abandon his quest because his load was too heavy.

As people, we do this all the time. We look at what we think we are and then we look at all the baggage we feel goes along with what we think we are and weep because our load is too heavy. How do we fix this you might ask? The answer is very simple, find out what we really are; it is a one word answer and has no attending baggage.

We are quite simply a soul. Each and every one of us is a piece of the divine consciousness, made of and from the Divine. Always connected to that from which we were made whether we realize it or not. Once we embrace our true essence, our core, our source; our load disappears, becomes effortless and becomes joy. Are you ready to know your true self? Are you ready to stop struggling with burdens of your own making? Are you ready to let go and just be? Are you ready to be the joy-filled, spontaneous and loving individual that you were intended to be. Then know your self, embrace your SELF and just be…

I wish you Bright Blessings, spontaneity and love, Chessie

© Chessie Roberts 2011 all rights reserved