Tag Archives: prayer

The Belly Button Principle

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Life’s a lot of work, right? This is where the Belly Button Principle comes in, because life is a toggle between inner labor and outer efforts. Innie and Outie, for short.

I need to build my inner resources with solitude and self-care. Time for contemplation and stillness. Prayer and meditation. Listening to beautiful music. Time in nature. Lovely spiritual reading like my current favorite, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom by John  O’Donohue.  Long walks. Qigong. Reiki. Sometimes, a deep, mindful talk with an anam cara (soul friend).

That’s when, where and how I connect to The Great Mystery. That’s the Innie.DSC00139

But I don’t live only in the inner world. No one can. Even religious contemplatives come out of contemplation to do life-sustaining chores.

I also need to move through daily life. That’s the Outie. Doing my professional work sharing messages of healing and hope and helping others do the same. Filling up the car’s gas tank. Preparing beautiful meals for myself and my beloved family. Leading peer-support meetings and fulfilling responsibilities to my religious fellowship. Showing up when people need me.

For me to thrive, these two areas, the Innie and the Outie, have to be in balance. Too much Innie, and I miss the chance to receive inspiration and love from other people and the opportunity to be of service. Too much Outie, and I lose my way, get crabby and mess up, sometimes letting myself, and others, down.

So, on an ideal day,  I make sure that I’ve got the Innie work in place before I embark on the Outie work. I also take the Outie stuff into Innie Land. They feed and support each other. When they are in balance, I’m in balance. And my world is a better place! That’s the Belly Button Principle.

Now, how about you? How do you keep your Innie and your Outie in balance?

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Have you seen my new book, The Hungry Ghost: How I Ditched 100 Pounds and Came Fully Alive? Says a recent reader: “I was expecting another diet book. Instead I received a wealth of life inspiration!” 

 

Who Needs Prayer Time?

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There’s somebody there. But it helps if you slow down and listen. Doesn’t matter where or when, though a beach is a pretty good place to start.

My friend’s words struck me right in the heart, in a good way, so I just knew they were wise.

I was struggling mightily, for months and months, to make sure I had a specific, dedicated time daily to spend in prayer, meditation and reflection. I kept getting hijacked. Self-employed, I have a lot of flexibility. Too much, it sometimes feels. Working from home, I have  tons of fun distractions. Who can refuse a young adult son who wants to talk, right then?

And there are tons more of blah interruptions that just seem to insert themselves.

I mean, have you ever started out to balance the checkbook, only to come to awareness 20 minutes in the basement doing laundry? I mean, hijacked is my middle name. And I haven’t even talked about my relationship with e-mail. Oh, the ways I can just float away, time drunk and not doing what I need and want to do.

I was telling this to my friend Amy, who is very spiritual, and religious in a really nice way (meaning, she isn’t pushy and doesn’t judge). When we were first getting to know each other, she often would say to me at the end of a conversation, “Now tell me what I can pray for you today?” Sometimes she’ll even call and leave that offer on my voice mail. That’s how sweet and faithful she is.

So I was sweating out my sluggardly ways re spiritual time each day when Amy gently posited that many of the activities I do during the day, when I write and talk about addiction, health and healing, might be considered times of communication with my higher self. “Those things are worship, too,” she said.

Oh, right. My higher self doesn’t just come to me during special times set aside. I can also connect during and with any of my daily activities. God doesn’t appear just when I say so in a certain way. Connection is a state of mind and intention, too, not just a slot on the day’s calendar. I could, it seems, make my life a sort of living prayer, even.

Don’t get me wrong. I still need that special time. But for now anyway, it’s more helpful to take the day as it comes than to beat myself up that I didn’t set aside a perfect bubble for what Amy would call devotional time.

Because, actually what I’m craving is not so much time alone with my inner guides (though that is important) as the experience of connecting to the creator that lives within me as me. And I can do that anywhere, any time, if I just slow down and remember who I am, and who sent me.

Thanks, Amy!

Getting God to Answer

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The one who made the flower made me and thee.

When I am honestly in quest of the true truths, not succumbing to the crap my monkey mind churns out, I dialog in my journal with God. I do not do this nearly often enough, but when I do, it can really be wonderful. Like a conversation, even.

I should tell you I don’t have the kind of HP who jumps in front of me with visions and things. I have friends who say they receive insights and direction this way and I believe them. I am also aware that my HP knows visions would freak me out, so instead gives me clues. These are not feathers or leaves gently floating into my face just when I’m asking for a message from heaven. They’re not pennies that show up in odd spots at right times the way they do for Dear Abby readers.

My HP is more subtle.  When I get guidance, it tends to be an intense, cool, calm sensation of power and clarity below thought and feeling, directly under my breast bone. These sensations can, however, be subject to interpretation, and require that I sit still to receive them. I have trouble with this.

So sometimes, like I said, when the brain is more or less in place and fitting properly, I actually think to ask in writing what I need to know. And often the answers just come as I write along. Some random examples culled from the last few weeks’ journals:

Gay: How many mistakes are too many?

God: Try and find out. All mistakes are forgivable. Humans are innately good. If you have done evil, it’s because you have moved away from the source of good. When you move back into the light, all will be well.

Gay: How much work is enough?

God: You have to do what you have to do. You can only do what you can do. (I first heard this from a friend when we were sharing a cube and I was overwhelmed and freaking out. God is happy to use anything and everything to deliver a message. HP also doesn’t seem to mind having to repeat things. Which is good because I seem to be a slow learner on some of this stuff.)

Gay: Where is the money?

God: Do you have what you need? (God sometimes talks like a shrink.)

Gay: How much am I allowed to have?

God: As much as you need.

Gay: But I feel guilty.

God: Keeping yourself poor in body, mind and spirit does not help people who are poor. Nor does taking excess beyond your needs. You are not a princess. (Ouch!) You are not a pauper. (Yay!)

Gay: What is my right work?

God: What do you want to do?

Gay: What do you want me to do?

God: I created you as you. You are Gay. Be Gay. (Now God’s sounding like my mom. How come moms and God never tell you what that means?????)

Gay: What is death?

God: (Silence.)

Gay: Why won’t you tell me?

God:  I will.

Gay: When?

God: Not now.

Gay: Sometimes I hate you.

God: I know.

Gay: Aren’t you going to smite me?

God: Nope. I’m over that. (God has a sense of humor. I hope. Right. Hmmm. Maybe I should ask?)

Gay: Do you have a sense of humor?

God: Kangaroo.

Gay: Right. Thanks.

God: You’re welcome.

Gay: Seriously?

God: Seriously.