Pride Cometh Before the Fall June 15, 2013

This is a re-post from last year.  It is so important to understand the words and actions we immerse ourselves in.  So read over this blog with a critical eye focused on the inner self. Find the best and share this with the world!

The phrase “Pride cometh before a fall” probably came from the 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Book of Proverbs, 16:18.  Some versions say it this way, “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”  Either way the point is fairly obvious.  A person who is extremely proud of his or her abilities will often suffer a setback or failure, because he or she tends to be overconfident and to make errors of judgment.

Have you ever thought of how Pride fits into your life?  If you are GLBTQ then you have probably attended a Pride festival of some type.  There is an interesting irony to this event, so I would like to share a few thoughts on Pride since June is rapidly approaching and Pride festivals will be taking place all over the USA and elsewhere.

Let’s look at this word a little closer, Pride [prahyd] noun, verb, prid·ed, prid·ing.

Noun ~

1. A high or inordinate opinion of one’s owns dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.

2. The state or feeling of being proud.

3. A becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself or one’s position or character; self-respect; self-esteem.

4. Pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself: civic pride.

5. Something that causes a person or persons to be proud: His art collection was the pride of the family.

If we again look even closer one word seems to jump out in the definition, Ego.  Look at the synonyms for Pride – conceit, self-esteem, egotism, vanity, vain glory, implies an unduly favorable idea of one’s own appearance, advantages, achievements, etc., and often applies to offensive characteristics. Pride is a lofty and often arrogant assumption of superiority in some respect: Pride must have a fall. Conceit implies an exaggerated estimate of one’s own abilities or attainments, together with pride: blinded by conceit. Self-esteem may imply an estimate of oneself that is higher than those held by others: a ridiculous self-esteem. Egotism implies an excessive pre-occupation with oneself or with one’s own concerns, usually but not always accompanied by pride or conceit: His egotism blinded him to others’ difficulties. Vanity implies self-admiration and an excessive desire to be admired by others: His vanity was easily flattered. Vain glory, somewhat literary, implies an inordinate and therefore empty or unjustified pride: puffed up by vain glory – boast.

The antonym is humility!  Jesus taught us to have a humble approach to life and not get caught up in our own achievements.  Life is about what you have to offer – what you give!  Pride has its uses and serves to balance life, but it is a trap so many of us fall prey to.  Celebrate your successes, feel good about yourself, know that you have great worth, and do it with humility, so you can avoid the fall!

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity     Discover Free eBooks click here

Spiritual Movies June 11, 2013

It has been several weeks since I blogged.  Mostly because I took a holiday, but also because I didn’t have anything I have not already blogged about.  Today I read someone else’s blog on movies and was inspired to share an aspect of life which brings Joy to my life.  I love a good movie and if it has a positive uplifting message all the better.  I was struck by the list provided titled, “Movies With Truth or Consciousness”.   The list included many movies I have already seen, but also many which I deemed too dark or negative.  Truth and Consciousness is such a relative and individual concept.  So at the risk of totally missing our Truth and Consciousness I will share mine.

All movies have an important message for you or you would not have been presented with the opportunity to experience it.  You have a choice!  Sometimes negative stories provide an insight which is valuable without you actually having to experience it directly.  Perhaps this is why movies about death, murder, war, violence etc. are so popular.  The option of seeing it on the big screen vs. in your own personal life is quite attractive.  Of course there is no reason you must know of these things either, unless you say there is!

The following movies I have personally seen and found value in relation to my Spiritual Journey of Discovery, the purpose being to expand my own personal understanding and conception of consciousness.  The list is incomplete!  But then the journey never ends either.

First let us start with a movie service called “Spiritual Cinema Circle”.  There are plenty of spiritual movies of inspiration and motivation being made – movies with thought-provoking, uplifting stories – but they almost never make their way to your local theater.  Spiritual Cinema Circle monthly DVD club gives these unique spiritual movies a “theater”… right in your own home.

GaiamTV.com also is a service which you subscribe to and offers many of the movies I will list here today.  For those seeking lasting change in their life’s path and identity, Gaiam TV is the world’s largest source of transformational media. Their exclusive videos go beyond the boundaries of mainstream media to reveal new and enlightening perspectives to help you thrive in our changing world.

This list of movies comes in no particular order and has links to more info:

The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions – Gives a great representation of exactly what we are to the Elite of the world –batteries. We fuel their entire matrix and designed system. Perhaps even more profound is how this film reveals what it is like to awaken and step out of The Matrix into the real world. Only the mind’s stories and your ego are what limit you.

Avatar – A film involving consciousness and how we are all connected as one to each other, the planet, and the animal kingdom.

Cloud Atlas – An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present, and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.

Life of Pi – Life of Pi, according to Yann Martel, can be summarized in three statements- “Life is a story… You can choose your story… A story with God is the better story.” A reoccurring theme throughout the novel seems to be believability. Pi at the end of the book asks the two investigators “If you stumble about believability, what are you living for?”  According to Gordon Houser there are two main themes of the book: “that all life is interdependent, and that we live and breathe via belief.” (wikipedia.org)

What Dreams May Come – Sheds light on the fact that we can sometimes create what appears as a periodic afterlife for ourselves based on what we believed while living. We remain in this afterlife until we figure out how to move beyond it and reincarnate again.

Defending Your Life – A comical view of life and death, with a wonderful love story to boot!

Astral City: A Spiritual Journey (Nosso Lar) – The life of the doctor André Luiz in the spiritual city of Nosso Lar. In Portuguese with English subtitles.

K-Pax – The Story is presented in two perspectives and gives the viewer the choice of which is “true”.  It also offers some wonderful insight into extraterrestrial technology and society i.e. other ways of living.

Celestine Prophecy – A spiritual method of living by example.

Conversations with God – We all talk to God every day, are you listening?

Peaceful Warrior – Eastern teachings brought to life!

La Belle Vert (The Green Beautiful) – Shows the interconnectedness we all share, and how far off the human experience on earth has drifted from that. Focuses on the simplicity and peace that inherently comes from a planet based on love and oneness. French with English subtitles.

Mr. Destiny – A comedic and light-hearted film that introduces the idea of timelines, ultimately showing that as unpleasant as one’s current reality may seem, it is always that which is best for soul growth and experience.

Ambition to Meaning – This is a film made by Dr. Wayne Dyer and is based on some of his books. It is a great depiction of 3 different stories that all intertwine with one another. This film is geared towards spreading the message of shifting ones consciousness to create a new and more expanded life. All his materials are uplifting.

You Can Heal Your Life – Louise Hay offers a fresh perspective on healing and healthy living thru the story of a young ladies life.

Waking Life – Are dreams as real as reality? The film looks at dreams and how they can be as real and full of growth as “real life” is.

The Thirteenth Floor – Question Reality movie

The Truman Show – Question Reality movie

Yes Man – The power of YES!  What if you said Yes to everything?

The Game – Perhaps life is a Game?  This movie explores the possibility indirectly.

Battle for Terra – Great message about Humanity and Heroism.

A Wrinkle in Time – Maturation story with wonderful insights on time and the nature of reality.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven – Your experience in Heaven is based on your beliefs.  The message is specific for you, so mistakes are not possible.

Dinotopia – Life is a journey and this story makes it fun and fanciful!

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy – A comical view of life which questions reality.

Baraka & Samsara – A collection of expertly photographed scenes of human life and religion, directed by Ron Fricke

Spirituality is found everywhere you look so be aware of the Spiritual aspects as you go through your life and you will find guidance everywhere!  Please share your favorite Spiritual Movies or movies in which you found Divine Guidance and we can grow together.

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity     Free eBooks click here

 

Label Me Please May 24, 2013

“Label me, define me, nail me down with cold words and

that box will be your coffin, for I do not know who I am” — Rumi

Using labels to define existence provides us with a tangible experience.  Boxing something or someone’s identity allows the observer to have a personal idea of not only what that item or person is, but more importantly to know their self!  Rumi has it right in that we are all that is, but in order to fully experience this earthly life one has to be in a box or all is nothing!

Try this wonderful exercise and see how it feels to you.  Choose a random moment, pause, look around and say to yourself – “I am That”… “I am”.  You could be looking at a beggar on the street, a flower in your yard, or the computer you sit in front of right now.  Experience what it feels like to “Be” that item or person.  Take your time and let it sink in.

How does it feel?  Did you have a transcendent experience?  I know I often experience a feeling of connection to everything in the Universe during that exercise, but sometimes I don’t feel a thing.  It depends on what I put into it!  Taking my time and relaxing into the process is key.  A fun place to do this exercise is somewhere you don’t normally go or particularly like being.  It stretches the mind and broadens the senses to a point of acceptance, depending on how much you resist the feelings of course.

Where do you find yourself feeling awkward or uneasy?  Prisons, Churches, Gay Bars, Tall Buildings, at sea on a small boat, a room full of animals, sitting in your cubicle, _______ fill in the blank?  The feedback you receive is insight to your make up and conditioning, but does it really tell you who you are?  Now try the exercise in reverse, where do you find yourself feeling safe, welcome, and at home?  Your own living space, sitting at your desk, in the arms of your lover, with family, with friends, in a forest, all by yourself, _________ fill in the blank?

Now think back to a tranquil picture you remember seeing, does the feeling you get seeing the picture compare to actually being there?  For instance, seeing a picture of Yosemite National Park compare to actually being there?  Do you expect it to?  The idea is for the picture to remind you of past experiences.  If you have never had the experience then the photo can inspire you to visit the place or have the experience.  Fantasy pictures are more about invoking an emotional response sense going there is not an option.   What does “Be a Unicorn” mean to you?  If you see a pretty picture of a Unicorn can you image being the Unicorn?  Are you in the Unicorn box?  Do you see the purpose boxes provide?

Without a box or identity how can you experience anything in particular?  I find being in a box (labeled identity) helps me more fully experience life, whatever that life is at the time.  When I was living as a man the box allowed me to more fully embrace the experience of being a man.  Now that I live as a woman whether I label it as transwoman or not I have a clearer idea of who I am.  I live based on my own ideas of what a woman is, while also feeling my way through the experience.  The clothing, behavior, and thought process is very natural and takes little effort on my part.

I have sat in a field and put myself in Tree box, imagining myself to be a tree, feeling the sun, sinking my roots deep into the earth, and feeling the connection to all the animals, insects, and other plants!   It is a cleansing experience, one that humbles me, and reminds me how important each living thing is in this world.  Without the box though, this would not be possible.

On a side note labels are simply a tool, and can be used to separate you from other things and people.  If you go around saying I am not that, or that is a tree and I am not a tree, then the feeling of separation takes over – the feeling of fear sets in.   Connection is a feeling of Love and perhaps this is the purpose of the whole exercise!  To feel Love!  Have fun on your Journey of Love.

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity     Free eBooks click here

Feel It May 13, 2013

Why does a person do what they do?  I know the question of why can often lead down a circumferential path but let’s just give it a go, for fun.  Why do you drink coffee every morning, or walk in the shadows on a hot day?  Given the choice of going to a familiar restaurant and eating food you have had many times and enjoyed or going to a new place serving unfamiliar food, which would you choose?

The answer is going to vary a lot by each person and reflects the person’s character.  On a deeper level though the choices you make determine your experience of life and in turn influence future decisions.  Often life is based on an experience from your past, so in effect the past becomes your future!  This can be a very dangerous and limiting habit.  What if instead you made your decisions based on the joy offered?  By listening to your inner voice and letting your soul guide you the experience changes for the better.  This is a practice of faith and demonstrates a belief in a benevolent world.

What if you drink coffee for the flavor experience and the pleasure it brings you and if it wakes you up then all the better?  How about staying in the shade to protect your skin and stay cool?  The other motivation might be fear of dying of cancer or getting sunburned.  Fear is a dreadful feeling and poor for your health.  The fear itself is the problem not the sun or coffee or any ‘thing’ outside you.  How you think about things makes a difference in your experience of it.  Thoughts are things, how you use them determines the outcome.

The ultimate reward for all you do is the experience or feeling gained.  Giving feels good, thus it is a good thing to do.  Swimming in clean clear warm water feels good, thus it is a good thing to do.  Not all experience is going to feel good, but this does not mean the outcome will not be good.  This is where listening to your inner voice, the soft quiet one, is your best guidance.  The feeling good part is often another person’s experience as a result of your actions.  It feels good to be a part of making another person feel good, even if it hurts in the short term.  An example would be jumping into cold water to save a person’s life or running into a burning building to save someone.

As obvious as all this may seem, how often do you think about the feeling you experience when making a choice?  How often do you think of other people’s feelings when you make a choice?  Do the thing which feels right to you and consider others in the decision.  This is what is called a win-win.

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity     Free eBooks click here

 

Slight of Mind Revisited May 9, 2013

The actions you take are necessary as proof to yourself that it is not only possible but reality.  The concept of reality is not as fixed as one would believe and because of this we are constantly testing reality.  If it happens then it must be true is the mentality we use.

Have you ever been to a magic show?  Is that reality?  Does the rabbit really disappear from the hat? Of course it does, the question is where does it go?  If reality was fixed could we even believe a trick like this?  Don’t we have to know there is a possibility of the rabbit actually disappearing to make this trick work?  Deep down we all know that this 3d world is an illusion.

A trigger is required for us to believe a certain event.  Let’s take surgery for instance.  Say a large benign tumor exists, can be seen on x-ray and with a large bulge in the skin.  We wish this tumor to be gone.  How do we make it go away?  We go to a surgeon and he cuts it out.  Why don’t we go to the magician to make it disappear?  Belief, personal experience and precedent!

We need matching action of a believable nature to create the result we seek.  The movies use this technique all the time.  Two scenes are shot at different times and spliced together to give the appearance they happened in sequence. (Called Matching Action)  It is a trick for the mind!  In fact movies are all about tricks, they are actually a series of still images shown very quickly ~16 frames per second (sometimes faster up to 32 FPS) and appear to be moving…appear to be real.

Surgery is the matching action, like in the movies, which allows the mind to perceive a miracle cure!  When in reality it is done at a level beyond the mind.  Reality exists beyond the mind and the mind is our lens to this world.  Without the ego mind this world does not exist!  This is why the mind needs proof, i.e. surgery to experience the healing.  The Spirit does not need this trick, because it operates at the level of reality and knows there is no tumor at all.  There never was, because in reality we are perfect beings of light/energy made in the image of God/Universal Intelligence/Great Spirit.

The magic trick diverts the attention while the appearance is manipulated, but in reality the rabbit does not even exist so anything that is done is perfectly believable.  Now that we have this information, do we still need surgery to remove a tumor?  Or make a rabbit disappear?  This depends on your level of belief and faith in reality!

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity

Ps. Apply this to SRS/GRS and ask yourself if you really need surgery to believe who you are?  In the Spirit world there is no gender… perhaps this is what you desire.

 

Faithful Living May 1, 2013

What is it to live without faith?  Could you be living a faithful life without even knowing it?  I believe most people are living in faith whether they consciously choose to or not.  Over 90% of people believe in a higher power according to a recent Gallup poll so this easily translates to faithful living.

So just what is Faith?  According to Dictionary.com it means:

1. confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another’s ability.

2. belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.

3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.

4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.

5. a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith.

Number 3 means over 90% of the people have Faith!  Number 4 is really general and would apply to ~99% of people as we all believe in something! (Atheism and Science are beliefs)  So the proof is mounting, but then number 2 indicates we need no proof to have faith.  Whatever you believe is true!  For those who have been around a while having confidence or trust in another person is bound to have occurred at some point in your life and if you are a Spiritual person it is most likely a daily practice.  The religious belief category is the only one which may not apply to the majority of people, although most have been there at one point or another in their lives.  So you can see Faith is a part of everyone’s life.

Making it a conscious part of your life simply takes the commitment to be aware of your practices.  Practicing faith consciously is something we can all do easily.  First of all look within to find your beliefs, principles, and morals.  As you define them just be observant of your life – your words, behavior, and thoughts.  How are they aligned with these beliefs?  The more conscious you become the easier it is to align with the Faith you already have.  Practice makes perfect is applicable here, however as your journey continues this becomes perfection is always present, now and forever.  Faith is instinctual to one who has chosen it.  Perfection resides in all people, places, things -the journey makes this perfectly clear!

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity    Free eBook “a Love Based Society”

“As you start to walk out on the way, the way appears.” Rumi

Do you have Intrinsic Value? April 22, 2013

Intrinsic value, do you in and of yourself have value?  To whom?  Why?  This is our topic today because I am sure you have asked these questions before.  I know I have, and I am still working on a viable answer.  This question is also essential to a Natural Law/Resource Based Economy/Love Based Society.

A quick review of today’s society shows that value is based on what something or someone brings to the table.  How big the bank account is coupled with the amount of credit a person has denotes a person’s value in our present Capitalistic system.  There is much more to value than economics however.  Think about this carefully, because you may not be aware of the purpose certain people play in your life.  This exercise falls into the category of gratitude.  For instance the bus driver is there to get you where you are going but also to guide you or possibly share companionship.  Those who ride the same bus every day at the same time get to know the bus driver and the value of that relationship grows.  A person who is always smiling and laughing is of value to all whom they are around.  Someone who dresses nicely, feels good about themself, and radiates this energy everywhere they go is of value to society.  It matters not how much money they have in their pocket!

Have you thought of anyone with no intrinsic value yet?  How about the villain?  Make your choice carefully, because they are plentiful in our society.  I think you know without a villain there are no heroes.  Ok, so how about a homeless person?  Do they have any value?  What purpose do they serve?

The purpose we all serve is to our Higher Self/ Soul.  We are here for a purpose and the purpose itself has value to you if to no one else.  What makes a person homeless?  No home right!  It is of course a lot deeper than that.  The person is homeless because they have made choices that lead to their present situation.  It could be they lost a job, or are too unstable in mind to hold a job, or they simply do not wish to play the human game, which brings up another topic – jobs.

Does a person need a job to have worth/value?  Do they have to “contribute to society in monetary form” to have worth/value?  Do they have value just for being themselves?  What if you did nothing, would you still have value, or to state it another way, do you have intrinsic value?  Does a person in a vegetative state or coma have value?  The answer is blowing in the wind…life is a balance and needs both those in need and those to help.  It just depends on which role you decide to play. (This choice is usually made unconsciously or as some would say, it is made by a higher power)  Are you a hero or a villain; charity case or welfare worker?  It really matters not, because we all have intrinsic value or else we would not be here!  We are all a part of the story.

No matter what you do or don’t do, you have value to yourself at least, but probably to others you have no idea even exist.  Life is not hard although we often make it that way.  Be nice to yourself today and see the beauty in your existence!  “a Love Based Society” knows the value of each and every person while making sure they know it too!

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity    Free eBook “a Love Based Society”

“Value is not intrinsic; it is not in things. It is within us; it is the way in which man reacts to the conditions of his environment.” — Ludwig von Mises, Austrian economist  Meaning value is not in things, but in people!  YOU!

Second Half Of The Human Game April 18, 2013

This Blog is a sharing from a book I am reading now called Butterflies are Free to Fly, A New and Radical Approach To Spiritual Evolution by Stephen Davis.  I will not preface this much but to say in the book he explains The Holographic Universe and how it applies to us.  He divides life into two parts and calls them the Human Game.  Most of the people you know (probably yourself included, but not necessarily) are in the first half of the game and basically, the second half the Human Game is the opposite of the first half.  The following are the tenets of the second half.  (You are the Player)

1. The Player knows what it has been calling “reality” is not real at all, but a hologram created by its Infinite I to play the Human Game. This Game is being played by consciousness, in consciousness, and for consciousness; and in fact “there is no ‘out there’ out there,” no independent objective reality.

2. The Player knows once it has moved into the second half, all holograms experienced by the Player will be totally in support of its metamorphosis into a butterfly, rather than toward more limitation and restriction (first half of the game).

3. The Player knows it can never and will never experience anything in any hologram its Infinite I has not created and wanted to experience, and that its Infinite I has written and approved the script being used by anyone else appearing in the Player’s hologram. No one in the Player’s hologram can ever do or say anything its Infinite I has not requested.

4. The Player knows its focus changes from thinking to feeling. In the second half there is nothing to analyze, dissect, or understand – never any reason to ask “why?”  Thinking and studying are now only the results of an inner curiosity to expand one’s knowledge instead of being required to figure out the world or make a Player “better” or more “enlightened.”

5. The Player switches from “giving its power away” to make a hologram real, to “taking its power back” from it. When holograms appear that cause any kind of discomfort, it is an indication that the Player assigned some power to that hologram to make it real while playing in the first half of the game, and this is the opportunity to recognize the hologram was in fact not real at all and reclaim that power from it.

6. The Player leaves behind any and all judgment of anyone or anything in any hologram at any time, such as “good” and “bad,” or “right” and “wrong.” As Rudyard Kipling said in his poem, If: “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same….”

7. The Player knows there is never anything that needs to be fixed or changed or improved in the holograms it experiences.

8. The Player changes from being “proactive” to being “reactive.” There is nothing the Player ever again needs to “make happen.” Being “reactive” means that when a holographic illusion that appears “out there” seems to require a decision, a response, or an action, the Player takes it (as long as it does not include discomfort). Or, when the Player feels an internal motivation or impulse to act, it does. In other words, the Player follows its inner excitement as long as it is fun and brings total joy.

9. The Player lives from moment to moment, one day at a time. There are no goals, no planning, no targets, no objectives, and no agendas. There is no past and no future –just “now.”

10. The Player develops a deep love and sincere appreciation for its Infinite I, for itself as the Player, and for all the first half holographic creations, even though at the time of the experience they may have seemed less than joyful. The Player marvels in awe at the beautiful, perfect, and miraculous job the Player did in the first half to convince itself it was real, and that the holographic world it saw around it was real.

11. The Player has the “knowing” and the complete trust its Infinite I will take care of all its needs (including money), and there is no reason to worry about anything. The Infinite I would not create a hologram it wanted the Player to experience if it did not also give it everything it needs for that experience.

12. The Player wakes up each day looking forward with curious anticipation to the experiences its Infinite I will create for it that day; and the Player buckles up, relaxes, and enjoys the ride.

(Stephen Davis, 2010 ButterfliesFree.com)

* * *

The eBook Butterflies are Free to Fly is free to download at the above website.  I recommend reading it to fully understand the list above.  My new passion is Quantum Physics and this book has been a big part of this most recent adventure.  Just like one reaches the beach before entering the sea, this is the next step on the Journey of Love.

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity     Free eBooks click here

 

 

Nothing Is True April 11, 2013

Nothing is true….     At least not in the traditional way we think of truth.  Not even God’s or Universal Truth is true.  Only what you give power to by both your innately and adopted beliefs has any truth to it whatsoever!   I am not trying to discourage you here, nor am I raining on your parade.  My intention is to shine some light on your illusions, or should I say our illusions.  You see the entire world – all that you think you know is a hologram, a fabrication of powers we do not understand.  It would be like a television set understanding the programs it broadcasts.  It is not possible for humans to understand any Truth, if it even exists.  I challenge all your beliefs as you hold them right now!

Why would I do such a thing, which many would feel as an assault on their very soul?  Because sometimes we need a slap in the face to wake up, and perhaps some cold water will shock your awareness into focus.  All you thought was true is not.  Take this literally.  The only truth is nothing….  or to say this another way, whatever is is not and whatever is not is.    Pause for a moment, let this fully sink in.  The reality you are experiencing now as you sit with your computer or tablet and read this blog; all that surrounds you is a fabrication or a projected hologram from the All That Is.  Even “you” do not exist!

We all love to watch movies because we experience things we would not otherwise experience, but the real gift is realizing you are a movie within a movie and frankly there could be infinite layers to this scenario, like two mirrors facing each other.  The image/realities go on and on for as far as the eye can see.  In fact as far as our most powerful telescopes can see, reality appears as soon as we look. (Works with microscopes too)  So there can be no limit to the worlds which lay awaiting discovery.  The simple act of looking creates them!  (The Heisenberg principle) This is what discovery is, the act of looking at the hologram and seeing it for the first time.  What if every experience was perceived as the first one no matter how many times it had happened before?

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players:   They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages. At first, the infant, mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms. And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel and shining morning face, creeping like snail unwillingly to school. And then the lover, sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier, full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard, jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, seeking the bubble reputation even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice, in fair round belly with good capon lined, with eyes severe and beard of formal cut, full of wise saws and modern instances; and so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon, with spectacles on nose and pouch on side, his youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide for his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice, turning again toward childish treble, pipes and whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, that ends this strange eventful history, is second childishness and mere oblivion, sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.” (Wikipedia.org)

“Who are you without your story?” (Byron Katie, 2008)

Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity     Free eBooks click here

Acceptance is Key April 4, 2013

The Transgender Journey is much like any journey.  Preparation helps all go smoothly while being ready to handle the unexpected becomes a valued skill.  Learning to accept what you have and working with it is both the beginning and the end of the journey.  The “what you have” is dynamic as is the journey.  So let’s begin.

First of all find out who you are.  This is not as simple as it may seem.  The person you see in the mirror is not necessarily who you are.  The body is simply a vehicle rather than who you are.  Just like your car is not who you are, neither is your body.  Getting to the point where you are happy (accept) with the image in the mirror and with yourself is sometimes a long road.  There is no right way to get there, so leave the GPS at home and use your intuition instead.

Introspection comes easily for some of us and much harder for others, so if you are one of those who does not like to look within, then this will be even more important to you, although you may need to get help.

The journey goes something like this, look in the mirror, what do you see?  Ok, this is your vehicle.  It was given you for a reason and most likely that reason is that it will take you where you need to go, not necessarily where you want to go.  Accept this gift!  Right here and now, STOP thinking you know where you are going.  Stop thinking you know who you are.  Let go of any preconceptions you may have acquired.  Each day is a new day and one with the potential to discover your true self.

Now that you have discovered your vehicle go take it for a ride.  Test the cornering ability, the acceleration, and the stopping distance.  See how good you are at changing situations, demands on your services or skills.  On the road keep a notebook with you and record your best features, skills, and attributes.  Get to know what you are good at and what you need work on.  Accept where you are as perfect in this moment, all is well.

You have a long list now and are ready to pursue this even further.  Stay focused on the desirable features, skills, and attributes, the ones you put on your list and have already accepted.  Staying motivated at this level is about focusing on your goodness and forgiving all else.  If you noticed any undesirable attributes on the list you can acknowledge them, thank them for being a part of you, and then let them go.  To symbolize this write them down on a piece of paper.  In a safe location, burn the paper while focusing on gratitude – be grateful for the learning they afforded you.  Everything in your life serves a purpose so be grateful while at the same time do not get attached to them.  For instance, fat is often a shield we use to protect us from perceived danger or undesirable situations.  Notice I did not say “real” danger.  Once you become comfortable with the situations in your life and can accept your gifts of physical beauty and vigor then life supports this reality.  It all starts with your acceptance and willingness to see the beauty no matter your perceptions.

What is next for you?  Be optimistic and joyful, you have just let go of all your troubles.  The process continues and goes deeper each time.  Accept and repeat.  Life will evolve and get better and better!  Before you know it love and acceptance will exist in you on a deeper level than you even knew existed!  As this occurs your experience in the outer world conforms and reflects this reality.  The only real way to change the world is to change yourself!  The world is just you reflected!

Remember a few things along the way.  Everything happens for a reason, resistance is futile, and everyone is going through a similar journey, so give them what you would wish in return, acceptance.  Joy is in the journey!

Sequoia Elisabeth

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