by Charles McAlpine | May 1, 2016 | Blog
Fito and I have both been having a similar experience, but not necessarily sharing it with one another. Finally on one of our nightly walks, it came up. We have both been feeling the energies of ‘expansion’. The energy of flow, abundance; the energy of more. Yet prior to our conversation we had both been dealing with it in different ways. Fito was not talking about or sharing his experience of these energies of expansion because he “didn’t want to jinx them”. He thought that somehow, if he talked about what he was sensing or feeling.., those energies would go away. I on the other hand have shared with you, through this blog, that I have been feeling these expansive energies since the beginning of the year. However instead of being afraid I would cancel them out somehow by sharing them.., I have spent a lot of time looking for proof or evidence of this expansion in the 3-D world. Do we have more clients, transactions, workshops, etc… Or is their more money in my bank account. What we decided was that both of us are putting barriers in our own path. If you feel a new flow or rush of energies and then refuse to acknowledge it for fear it will go away; it is your fear that disrupts the flow. On the other hand, if you don’t trust it and begin to search for proof or start collecting evidence; that too can disrupt the flow. Instead, you have to simple bask in the energies that are flowing in and around you and be willing to “RECEIVE” them....
by Charles McAlpine | Mar 20, 2016 | Blog
Do you ever feel like you have one foot in one reality, with the other in another? I ask because this is how my life feels right now. I could look to one or two different situation or circumstances and say that they are “the cause” of this sensation of living in two worlds. But in truth, when I slow down and really contemplate this, I realize it is in every aspect of my life. One foot is still on the treadmill of our 3-D world where there are expectation, requirements, demands, opportunities and a whole lot of “should(s)”. We are told from a very young age what is expected, important, and valued. We are conditioned to accept our place within limited and limiting hierarchical structures that are based on social, educational, cultural, religious, and place of origin norms. Without even realizing it, many of us fulfill our perceived destiny based on beliefs and internalized messages whose origin we barely remember. We are navigating life as if we are asleep. This is regardless of whether or not the life we have created is deemed good or bad; rich or poor; adventurous or boring. We are asleep because we rely solely on our five physical senses to navigate. We assess and assign value to something or someone based on what we see, hear, taste, touch or smell. From infancy we have relied on these physical senses to help us interpret life. For those who choose a spiritual path something else emerges. We begin to listen for messages from the voice within. When we first connect with this internal guidance, we...
by Charles McAlpine | Oct 25, 2015 | Blog
Decisions, decisions, decisions! I guess no matter where we find ourselves on this journey through life; we are constantly presented with options. A variety of directions. Multiple choices! This is where a crystal ball that predicts the future would really come in handy! You see, there is change coming my way. I feel it and sense it. I know that something is stirring and wants to be revealed. Probably in many areas of my life, but right now, I am think about my business. I know we are moving into or towards something new. There are choices to be made. Options to choose between. Possible new futures. As I ponder these and try to decide what feels right. I realize I want some guarantee! I want to know that of the things I am considering; I will know which of them is “right”! Yet I also know.., this is not how it works! In some ways – there is no wrong choice. The end results may not look as I expect or assume it will. But even that is an opportunity to learn and grow. So it becomes (for me!) a guessing game! If I do ‘this’.., will X happen? If I choose ‘that’.., will Y be next? And, what if there is another option I am not even considering? You can see how these mind games get started! I get all caught up in weighing the possibilities and start to panic! I want to know the impact or results of any of these decisions before they are even made. I want to know I will be successful. I...
by Charles McAlpine | Jul 12, 2015 | Blog
I am tired of negativity, discrimination, divisiveness, fear-mongering, hate-talk, racism, misogyny, homophobia, bigotry and classism. Actually, to be truthful, I am worn down by them. Theses are tedious, never-ending energies that seem to be hurled around ad nauseam. I get it, we all have biases. We have preferences. We are drawn to some people and things, while we are repelled by others. But these days, it feels like we are being manipulated by some external force that wants to increase these hurtful and harmful prejudices. “They” wants us to feel and be isolated from one another. It is as if we are all part of a large marketing experiment, where if we all get isolated into our assigned group.., a market research group sort of. Each group is then reinforced to believe that their position, issues, concerns, traits, and perspectives are right and good. Each group is fed regular doses of information that categorize, reinforce and support their rightness. We are led to believe that if our segment does not achieve its goal, we will lose, possibly even cease to exist. We become so focused on the group that were sorted into, that we begin to lose the perspective of the other groups. Those groups become ‘them’. If any of ‘them’.., are not aligned or don’t share our perspective, they are viewed as the “other-side”. They become the bad guys. They are the enemy. We are good, they are bad. Us against Them. Justice against Evil. This means each group has been successfully separated from the whole. This means they have been reduced in size. Yet, because members...
by Charles McAlpine | Apr 19, 2015 | Blog
One morning this week, as I was enjoying my morning coffee outside, I realized I was contemplating a large tree that holds court in the back corner of our yard. As I thought about it, I realized that it wasn’t even here when we moved in 13 years ago! Instead, in its place, there was a beautiful, gigantic ocotillo! It was the biggest ocotillo I have ever seen, about 20ft tall and thick! It would have taken 10 people with arms spread wide to surround this beautiful desert plant! And when it was in bloom, with its intense orange tops it looked like the whole thing was on fire! It was gorgeous! After we had lived here for about a year, I noticed a small branch with a few leaves on it, sticking out of the ocotillo at eye level. Because of the thickness of the ocotillo, I couldn’t see where it was coming from… So I asked our landscape guy about it. He said a small tree had taken root in the center of the gigantic plant. I asked him if he could take it out? He indicated that they would have to destroy such a big piece of the ocotillo to get it out, that the ocotillo would never look the same. Apparently, if you cut away part of one of these plants, it doesn’t grow back the same as it was before. I decided to let nature take its course. The desert can be harsh on plants. I assumed that the tree, which is deciduous, would probably never survive. I imagined that the ocotillo was so...
by Charles McAlpine | Apr 5, 2015 | Blog
Have you ever felt like you were a fish hooked and fighting for your life? It sounds dramatic, but when you are caught up in the struggle and drama of someone else’s narrative and you are fighting for your own perspective; that is how it feels! This is not my normal way of operating or even the kind of situation I have a lot of experience with… Yet, right now, I have several of them going on all at the same time! So I know it is cosmic or an important opportunity for something new to emerge. Right now, ALL of the situations I am thinking of have to do with money. Investments going south. Situations changing without any input from me or some of the other people involved. Someone else working hard to have things their way, at my expense. It kinda sucks! When we first encounter these disruptions in our world, they feel isolated. Each one is approached, evaluated and addressed as if it is unique. At least that is how it is for me. I become aware that something is happening, I feel threatened, I start to resist and look at how to keep things the way they were before I got hooked. But the more I resist, the deeper the hook goes! Now I am in a fight for my life. Or at least, that is how it feels while I am trying to tug my way to freedom. Then another (similar) situation is added to the mix and it feels overwhelming. My logical mind attempts to figure it out. I spend a lot of...
by Charles McAlpine | Mar 28, 2015 | Blog
I have always had mixed feeling about the “Law of Attraction” and the messages that are promoted by movies like “The Secret” and books that are based on this concept. On one hand, I completely relate to the idea that we attract the same sort of people, situations and experiences that are aligned with what we project through our thoughts, feelings, attitudes and beliefs. If we think the world is against us and life is an uphill battle… we always find ourselves at the bottom of a perceived mountain. On the other, if we see the world as a friendly place to live, with opportunities all around us; we experience the synchronicity of happy people and new adventures. At the same time, I feel like it is important to move in the direction of whatever it is that you want to create. So if you are going to visualize making more money, than you have to do more than just sit and imagine it. You also have to start taking steps in that direction. This is how the Universe aligns and creates the multiple opportunities that will allow money to flow towards us. It hones in on our own movement or intentions. NOW.., I have another new insight. Mind you, I am not saying this is an original thought that has never been expressed before. It is that all of a sudden ‘I’ get it. Instead of using my personal intentions and magic to create, actualize and manifest more money, business, friends, health, travel or adventure; it’s more productive for me to start creating, actualizing and becoming the ‘me’...
by Charles McAlpine | Mar 15, 2015 | Blog
It’s funny, I have been resisting writing today, which is not normal for me. I love my Sunday morning ritual of coffee and processing the experiences of the previous week. But this past week I have been focusing on shifting and shedding the energies of SHAME! So how interesting to notice that I don’t even want to share my experience with you. Because somehow, if I was really evolved, there would be no shame in my life! Shame implies something bad, something wrong, something about me. I feel shame for having shame! Guess that means I am looking in the right place!! When I first started looking at shame as an area of focus, my first thought was “I’m not someone who walks around feeling shame.., why would I look here?” But when I slow it down and just sit with it, I realize shame is insidious. It doesn’t just manifest as glaring and obvious. Sometimes it is a whisper that comes from a place deep inside of us that no longer is part of our conscious thoughts. Quiet, yet crippling. For me, it manifests a lot whenever I feel like someone might perceive me in a way that isn’t “nice”. As someone who spent a great deal of my adult life trying to be all things to all people, the weight of performing for the sake of others, eventually became to overwhelming. I had to let that crap go! And yet, as much as I know I have come a long way in being authentic and true to myself, I am still confronted with situations where I get...
by Charles McAlpine | Mar 1, 2015 | Blog
Doesn’t it feel as if life is more complex these days? At least compared to how it use to feel. I am not talking about our personal day-to-day activities or circumstances, but the global world we live in. Everywhere you look it seems we are at odds with one another. Many groups of people feel as if they are under attack, and regardless of which side you take, someone feels threatened! If you support marriage equality you feel under attack by right-wing Christians; who feel like their beliefs are being threatened. If your position is gun-rights, you feel under attack by those who want legislation to restrict purchases. And those wanting the controls and limitations feel threatened and unsafe based on the incidents of gun violence around them. There are hundreds of these scenarios. Pick a topic and you will find the for and against. Even something as simple as music. I was watching a video online the other day of a couple of guys singing a mash-up of two songs at the same time. I thought it was well done, so I shared it. Then I went to write a comment on their post saying “thanks”, only do discover a whole thread of comments expressing likes and dislikes. Awful things were said, and complete strangers, whose only connection was a song on the Internet were insulting and demeaning one another. I have to admit I was a bit stunned. How is this something that we would trash or belittle? Why would we insult someone for singing a song? Regardless of how well or how poorly it is done; it...
by Charles McAlpine | Feb 15, 2015 | Blog
This has been another week of interesting conversations. It seems as if they have covered the whole spectrum. Yet what stands out the most for me, is what we each choose to believe. Clients and friends have talked to me about ETs, Angels, Chem-trails, crop circles, government mind control, wars created by religion, and just about anything you could imagine. I myself have been talking a bit about channeling. These are all topics that we can get passionate about IF we have strong beliefs about them. And it is this idea of beliefs that has been the thread that connects these conversations for me. Many times when someone becomes dogmatic about a topic, it is a turn-off for me. I love to hear their perspective and understand what influences them. However, when they try to convince me that I should believe the same things as they do.., then it becomes tiresome. Most of the situations I found myself in this week were NOT that. They were simply sharing their own insights and what they believe. What if you are part alien? What if the government is using television as mind-control? What if there are chemicals being sprayed in the air to shift our climate or alter our DNA? What if someone is trying to place a curse on you? If we believe something, then it affects our lives. If I believe the deck is stacked against me. It is. If I believe I am susceptible to a disease. I am. If I believe the government is hiding secrets about Area 51 and aleins.., then it’s true; for me. My point...
by Charles McAlpine | Feb 8, 2015 | Blog
I find myself day-dreaming, envisioning and imagining something new. It’s as if it has already started to materialize. I can’t stop thinking about it. What may have started out as a simple idea or ‘what if’ – all of a sudden keeps invading my thoughts. It is becoming more real, yet there is nothing actually happening in the physical. Still, I am moving in the direction of this new thing! Does this happen to you? Do you find yourself being energetically pulled into your next new future? Here is the thing that I have to remind myself; this may be part of my future… I just don’t know how, when or where it will happen. I need to let this unfold. AND what I think it is or will be is just a concept. The truth is it could look very different than what I am currently imagining. I know this, because I have had this experience before. Many times! Many people know my story of deciding to create Storm Wisdom. I was looking at a space with and for Fito; as he wanted to start his own Real Estate/Property Management company. (Which he did called “Wise Choice Properties”!!!) As we looked through the window to view this space, I heard “It’s for You”. After a short internal dialog in my head.., I turned to my husband and said “I think I am quitting my job and starting my own business”. What most people don’t know is that for six months, I envisioned, imagined and planned to open this new business in the location where I got this strong...
by Charles McAlpine | Feb 8, 2015 | Blog
I find myself day-dreaming, envisioning and imagining something new. It’s as if it has already started to materialize. I can’t stop thinking about it. What may have started out as a simple idea or ‘what if’ – all of a sudden keeps invading my thoughts. It is becoming more real, yet there is nothing actually happening in the physical. Still, I am moving in the direction of this new thing! Does this happen to you? Do you find yourself being energetically pulled into your next new future? Here is the thing that I have to remind myself; this may be part of my future… I just don’t know how, when or where it will happen. I need to let this unfold. AND what I think it is or will be is just a concept. The truth is it could look very different than what I am currently imagining. I know this, because I have had this experience before. Many times! Many people know my story of deciding to create Storm Wisdom. I was looking at a space with and for Fito; as he wanted to start his own Real Estate/Property Management company. (Which he did called “Wise Choice Properties”!!!) As we looked through the window to view this space, I heard “It’s for You”. After a short internal dialog in my head.., I turned to my husband and said “I think I am quitting my job and starting my own business”. What most people don’t know is that for six months, I envisioned, imagined and planned to open this new business in the location where I got this strong...
by Charles McAlpine | Jan 25, 2015 | Blog
Last night, Fito and I had dinner with another couple at their home. And almost immediately, we were talking about our plans for retirement. At one point I told one of our hosts that lately it seems like all of the conversations I am having, have to do with retirement or health! An obvious indicator that I am getting older! Sometimes I wonder how this could have happened so fast! It seems like just yesterday I was immortal! Or at least I walked around feeling as if this life would never end. And of course to top it all off, there is this whole twisted concept of life experience. You know.., “I wish I knew then, what I know now!” It seems as if Life is playing tricks on me! And yet there is beauty to this aging process. It feels like I am just beginning to get a sense of it. Maybe it is how the drive or demand for things to look and feel a certain way begins to diminish. The willingness to accept things as they are versus how we think they should be. It is as if we begin to see how life responds to and for us, based on our thoughts and feelings. When I was younger the world revolved around me, because my ego demanded it. Every situation, challenge or reward was assessed based on whether or not it was aligned with, supported or screwed with my personal plans! My reaction or response was based on how attached I was to either getting or losing that ‘thing’. And of course, it felt like...
by Charles McAlpine | Jan 25, 2015 | Blog
Last night, Fito and I had dinner with another couple at their home. And almost immediately, we were talking about our plans for retirement. At one point I told one of our hosts that lately it seems like all of the conversations I am having, have to do with retirement or health! An obvious indicator that I am getting older! Sometimes I wonder how this could have happened so fast! It seems like just yesterday I was immortal! Or at least I walked around feeling as if this life would never end. And of course to top it all off, there is this whole twisted concept of life experience. You know.., “I wish I knew then, what I know now!” It seems as if Life is playing tricks on me! And yet there is beauty to this aging process. It feels like I am just beginning to get a sense of it. Maybe it is how the drive or demand for things to look and feel a certain way begins to diminish. The willingness to accept things as they are versus how we think they should be. It is as if we begin to see how life responds to and for us, based on our thoughts and feelings. When I was younger the world revolved around me, because my ego demanded it. Every situation, challenge or reward was assessed based on whether or not it was aligned with, supported or screwed with my personal plans! My reaction or response was based on how attached I was to either getting or losing that ‘thing’. And of course, it felt like...
by Paul (Site Admin) | Jan 18, 2015 | Blog
Have you ever noticed how sometimes the do’s and don’ts of life seem to be in conflict with one another? It is one of the traps I find myself in quite frequently. I go back and forth internally about how to balance or accommodate both. Here is my example. We all have situations that come up that upset us. Maybe they make us mad or we feel offended. Perhaps we feel shamed or dissed (dismissed or disrespected). Regardless these situations trigger an emotional response for us. So then we are confronted with the conflicting do’s and don’ts. For many of us we are taught that we are suppose to turn the other cheek. Or, maybe in our pursuit of personal and spiritual growth we are told that we create our own reality and it is all a reflection… So we should look for and find the Love and Light in these situations. What is the lesson? The idea being that we are suppose to be positive and take the high road. Spiritual people are always kind and loving.., these situations shouldn’t bother us, because we are more evolved than that. At the same time, we are also taught that unexpressed emotions and repetitive thoughts that are unresolved cause stress and are stored in the physical body. Over time, the pattern of storing these unexpressed emotions or thought patterns become denser and create blockages with the systems of the body. They are the cause of many of our ailments and/or illnesses.., or at least they make us more susceptible to disease. So, this inquiring mind wants to know: If we...
by Charles McAlpine | Jan 18, 2015 | Blog
Have you ever noticed how sometimes the do’s and don’ts of life seem to be in conflict with one another? It is one of the traps I find myself in quite frequently. I go back and forth internally about how to balance or accommodate both. Here is my example. We all have situations that come up that upset us. Maybe they make us mad or we feel offended. Perhaps we feel shamed or dissed (dismissed or disrespected). Regardless these situations trigger an emotional response for us. So then we are confronted with the conflicting do’s and don’ts. For many of us we are taught that we are suppose to turn the other cheek. Or, maybe in our pursuit of personal and spiritual growth we are told that we create our own reality and it is all a reflection… So we should look for and find the Love and Light in these situations. What is the lesson? The idea being that we are suppose to be positive and take the high road. Spiritual people are always kind and loving.., these situations shouldn’t bother us, because we are more evolved than that. At the same time, we are also taught that unexpressed emotions and repetitive thoughts that are unresolved cause stress and are stored in the physical body. Over time, the pattern of storing these unexpressed emotions or thought patterns become denser and create blockages with the systems of the body. They are the cause of many of our ailments and/or illnesses.., or at least they make us more susceptible to disease. So, this inquiring mind wants to know: If we...
by Charles McAlpine | Jun 17, 2013 | Blog
Sometimes I am amazed at how long it takes for me to absorb or learn a lesson! I think of myself as a intelligent guy. So, what’s the deal with being so slow to comprehend a concept? Here’s what I am talking about: What we resists, persists. I have heard this for years and felt like “I got it”. Don’t hold onto negative thoughts, replace them with positive. Look for the good in a situation.., find the lesson. If something feels difficult, let it go, find the flow. Lots of versions of the whole resist/persist thing! However, lately I have been seeing how this permeates our culture and how I buy in to it… Almost every time! We have created a culture that pits us against one another. We cherish taking sides or holding onto a position. We have crafted an environment where fear drives our behavior. Where we respond by protecting our position, our side. The best examples can be found in news and politics. Take anyone of the major issues – war/peace, abortion/choice, marriage equality/traditional marriage, immigration reform/border protection, GMO/natural seeds or food, finance reform/deregulation, republican/democrat, gun control/freedom to bear arms and the list goes on. These have been turned into all or nothing positions or sides, that we have to choose and then defend. And in each of these situations… There are groups making a ton of money, by using fear to keep us stirred up. To keep us invested and on a given side. AND, I buy into it every time! OR… I did. Not long ago… I stopped reading the news. I stopped watching...
by Charles McAlpine | Jun 3, 2013 | Blog
I’m back from my solo retreat in Pine, AZ! It was perfect, and completely different than what I was expecting! I realize in looking back or in hindsight, that I have a tendency to make these events into a destination. This is instead or recognizing that they are actually a part of the journey! I imagined that when I “checked-out” of my life for a week…, that I would come back a changed man. The truth is that is too much pressure to put on to any event, person or situation. While I was there, life slowed down. Nature has a way of showing us how crazy we make everything. Rushing from appointment to task, to activity and beyond. Most of us live crazy, hectic lives! I know I do! Each day new things were revealed. Perhaps the truth is that many of the things being revealed, weren’t new… They were things that were already part of my awareness, yet I had not taken the time to connect with them. To process them. Each day felt unique unto itself. What was present and occupying my thoughts one day, were gone the next. Many times what was revealed, created a review of areas or aspects of my life. I saw things that I wanted to change, things I wanted to release and others that I wanted to step into more fully. I found that I like myself and who I am! I also saw a few things that I would like to change. I recognized that there are ways that I am not very loving to myself. I also found...
by Paul (Site Admin) | Jun 2, 2013 | Blog, Solo Retreat
Today is my first day at Spirit Sky… A solo retreat for 6 days. The cabin is located in Pine AZ… About 20 miles beyond Payson. I have never been in this area before. It is quite beautiful. It is a much higher elevation than Phoenix (approximately 5500ft), which means it is cooler here. Today when I left Phoenix at about 11:30am, it was already about 90 degrees. The temperature when I arrived here at the cabin, was about 74. It is not what I expected, and it is still perfect. Somehow I had imagined being in a location where no one was around for miles… Isolated on a hilltop. The truth is… It is 4 acres on a hilltop that has a home being built about 50 yards away, and one roofline just over the crest of the hill… And a cabin/home that is not quite visible below. I think I imagined in my mind that the isolation would intensify the experience. It would offer a level of freedom that would allow me to tap into some primitive or untapped energies. A vision quest of sort… Out on the land, surviving in the elements and by my resourcefulness. AND… the truth is, that is not what I am doing. I am spending a week, in a comfortable cabin, with amazing views, surrounded by nature (I saw my first deer coming up the drive… And my first elk shortly after dinner, right out side the cabin!) I come with very little. I kept trying to sneak in projects… And you have no idea how much I wanted to bring...
by Paul (Site Admin) | Jun 2, 2013 | Blog, Solo Retreat
I slept well enough last night. The bed is probably a bit soft for my liking. A little before 6am I got up for a bit and went outside to enjoy the cool morning. Very peaceful at that time. Still, it felt like I could still sleep some more. The next time I awoke, there were two elk wandering the property. Not as close as I would like… But still a beautiful morning sight. There are benches all around the property. The one that I am most drawn to is across the drive on the knoll. It is placed inside a cluster of small alligator junipers. So it is in the shade most of the time. Today, the breeze is beautiful. Fresh air, cool breeze and just the sounds of nature to keep me company. On the one hand it is peaceful. On the other, I wonder what I will be doing for my time here? Moving from bench to chair, to rock to bench? It is odd not having something to do. Some place to go, something to prepare for, something to get done. I guess in some way, this is similar to a day off at home. Except at home, I have things to read. News on my iPad…or games. Music to listen to. Laundry to get done. There are distractions. And… Sometimes it is similar. I am simply existing. This morning I laid out a crystal grid for the day. This one was focused on Authenticity. Mind, body, spirit, Love, joy, clarity, compassion, strength, vitality, ease, grace and spirituality. It will be up until tomorrow morning…...
by Paul (Site Admin) | Jun 2, 2013 | Blog, Solo Retreat
This mornings grid is for “Fun”. The components are confident, stimulating, guided, flowing, foundational, natural, abundant, prosperous, mind, body, spirit. Initially when I awoke, I was feeling as though maybe I was sinking in or settling into this solo retreat thing. However, as the day wears on, I think instead maybe it is my mind, or more accurately my ego, playing a game with me. I find myself having thoughts about how I have already got what I needed from this experience… And perhaps it would be okay to go online… Maybe download a book. At one point I was thinking about exploring Pine. It took a bit for me to notice what was going on and to realize that this is uncomfortable. I am not sure what do do with myself, if I don’t have something to do. I can even find resistance to the mundane or chores… Folding my clothes, making the bed, that sort of thing. It is as if there is a voice inside my head saying… You can’t make me! It is interesting to catch this… As I think this is something that happens all the time. Our egos are resourceful… And they have different tapes or recordings they can pull out when the current message begins to lose its affect, keeping us in line or, from the egos perspective, safe. For the last two days I have been very aware of (because my ego has been talking to me about) my weight, energy level and health. Today… (The message from my ego is that) Everything is fine and I don’t have to stick...
by Paul (Site Admin) | Jun 2, 2013 | Blog, Solo Retreat
My crystal grid this morning is for Harmony. The components these crystals represent are Harmony, entrainment, flow, spectrum, balance, steady, ease, elegance, negotiation, uplifting and resonance. Today my retreat is starting out as a bit of a surprise. Even though I have tried to remain open for what this experience would bring… I realize I did have a few expectations or assumptions. I thought by giving myself this time, I would sink deeper into myself and start to see or recognize patterns, triggers, behaviors and such. You know, the ones that make life complicated or seem to get in the way of me having things the way I think they should be! Boy, is that a mouthful! However, my experience is just the opposite. I find it hard to focus on anything… It just doesn’t seem that interesting! My mind wanders… However, it doesn’t go to what is wrong… Instead, my eyes are drawn to beauty. There are much more than elk here! Now, don’t get me wrong… I don’t think this is a bad thing. It just seems like maybe I spend to much time worrying about the wrong things… Actually anything! Even as I write these words, I realize I spend a lot of time trying to control outcomes! Here there is nothing for me to control. If I want to sit by the stream, I do. If I want to lay down, I do. If I feel like making some notes on my iPad.., guess what? I do. Now mind you I still have a few days here and plenty more could be revealed. However… Nothing...
by Paul (Site Admin) | Jun 2, 2013 | Blog, Solo Retreat
Crystal grid for today is “Releasing Anger”. The crystals represent the following… Discovery, comprehending, contemplation, expression, learning, savor, own, release, breathe, allow, adjust. I went to sleep last night knowing that there was something brewing. Something that wanted to reveal itself, that had gone unnoticed. This morning, I think I know what that is and it the reason I chose the particular grid for today. This may be a bit had to convey properly, because I don’t want to leave you with the wrong impression. So let me start by saying up front… I love being gay and I love the Spiritual Being that I am. Yet last night, I was aware that I was angry about both! The other thing that I realized as I sat with this, is that when I trace the anger back or try to find who I am angry with… It is God. Which of course makes me aware that in this instance… I am thinking of God in the Christian sense. Old bearded white guy sitting on a throne somewhere. So this is my first clue that this anger is being held by my adolescent-self. And he doesn’t think God played fair! Life would be so much easier if I didn’t have to deal with being gay, or connecting to my spiritual journey in a unique way! If I could just look and be like the majority… If I could conform… If I fit in… Life would be easier! I think one of the things that reminded me of this was yesterday I was doing a video blog. I heard myself say,...
by Paul (Site Admin) | Jun 2, 2013 | Blog, Solo Retreat
I am going home later today. The last crystal grid here at Spirit Skies is “Contentment”. The crystals in this grid represent Contentment, breathing, relaxation, joyful, peace, stability, belonging, communication, decisive, and beauty. It is interesting to be thinking about leaving. There are parts of me that are ready and can’t wait to be back at home with Fito, my amazing husband, our dog Archie and to just sleep in my own bed! There is so much I appreciate about my life… Perhaps even more as a result of stepping away from it. There is also a part of me that is in fear that I won’t be able to hold on to the piece and tranquility I have found this past week. That some of the clarity and resolve that was found so easily here in nature…, will be lost in the day-to-day grind that is our lives. Just sitting with this today makes me aware that once again, my mind wanted to make this retreat a destination, and not simply part of the journey. I can see how I had invested a lot of energy into thinking that this retreat would “change” everything that felt out of alignment. That my problems would be solved and I would have clarity of direction. The truth is… We all probably need to give ourselves a week, once a year to de-stress! We need to find a way to slow down, check out and let our minds clear. This is not a destination… This is PART of the journey. The gift of time to ourselves is priceless. I leave here more...
