Sasha's Tea Room

This from Mind Recipes.com:

"When you feel that someone has done the wrong thing by you,examine your own part in it.Has it been your reaction to an event and your focus is entirely on your perceived wrongdoing by the other person.People have free will and it is entirely up to you how you react to an event.Are you choosing to be the victim or are you choosing to see that the other person has a right to their opinion even if it differs from yours?"

I loved this observation becuase at the heart of it, it is people's differing perceptions of reality that cause conflict between them. It serves no one to make the other person entirely wrong so that you can either play victim or expert if we want to preserve our relationships with those we value.

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre

minds." Albert Einstein

Imagine what the world would have been like if Einstein, for one, had not followed his passion and had instead, listened to the opposition. If we allow the opinions of others (friends and family included) dictate or heavily influence our choices, we will never find our nirvana. Great passion for something or someone is a threat to those who live in fear.

The heart of spirituality is living with awareness that we are

all one and as such helping each other out in a way that goes beyond our

own personal needs and personal sense of glory and power. It's a given

that we create our own reality and can spin our own magic to manifest

the life we desire, but when we can add tha...t power to other people's

power to try to create a better world for all, we are really exercising

our divine nature. 

 The relationships we have with others are as unique and individual as we are ourselves. Allowing the opinions of others into the sacred realm of that vibration will likely lead to unnecessary disruption and possible loss of the relationship when it is better to be left to the individuals involved to work things through. Others around us may unknowingly cast doubt upon our own unique sense of gratitude and comfort. If we engage them in their opinions of our own unique situations, we give them power to control to disrupt our lives when it is up to us alone to do this for ourselves if and when needed. To what extent do we allow others around us rob us of our sense of well being both within ourselves and our relationships with others?

Mantra for the day:

Today I choose to vibrate in the higher energies of love, peace, integrity, honor and truth, with harm to none.

So oftenI put up my hands

To shield my eyes from you

Wild hilarious miracle!

Your Light shines through my bones.

- Jalal-ud-Din Rumi....

I really like the above quote from Rumi and had towrite about this because it illustrates so well how I feel when I look at somefew very special people in my life. Whenever I think of what really makes aperson beautiful or handsome, for me, it is obviously their inner light whichas Rumi says, “shines through my bones”. I like the “wild hilarious miracle”part as well because the thought of these special people makes me smile,sometimes laugh, and always brings me joy. When I look at a person, I don’tlook through the eyes of the ego but from the spirit, so age is of nosignificance to me as it is to others. I am not shy about issuing complimentsto people and it’s funny to me that they aren’t always comfortable receivingthem (calling my one friend “hot” didn’t go over well lol) but that seldomstops me. In the process of getting to know someone better, they either grow inbeauty, or their beauty fades, no matter how outwardly attractive they are butonce that light has come to the surface it may at times be dimmed, it is neverlost. Inner light is not something that can be extinguished. As someone who hasbeen misunderstood for most of my life for one reason or another, I am used tobeing in the “outer circle” of what is considered “normal” behavior. This isquite acceptable to me because if it’s abnormal to feel delight over someone andexpress that joy to them, I am more than happy to wear the badge of the crazyweird person. For me, to voice unabashed compliments to these wonderful peopleis to honor them by recognizing all that they are. ....

.. ..

It is my wish that everyone can find at least oneperson who can make them feel as Rumi does in his poem. There is nothing moredelightful than experiencing laughter and the light of another. I would justsuggest that you don’t actually read the poem to them just in the event thatthey don’t normally run with the “wild crazy crowd”

Sometimes we fall down and can’t get back up

We’re hiding behind skin that’s too tough

How come we don’t say I love you enough

Till it’s too late, it’s not too late” lyrics from Live Like You’re Dying.. ..

I am often amused by my clients and the paradoxical lives theychoose to live. I use the word paradox because many of my clients come to melooking to know when they will be reunited with a loved one. They are alwayswistful when I can’t tell them a specific time and then when I can see areunion coming very soon, there are many times when the wistfulness turns todefensiveness. Admittedly there are times when the temptation to bang my headon my computer almost overtakes me when the very same person who has beendepressed and frustrated for what seems like an eternity to them, finally gets good news and is now ready to either give their former mate a tongue lashing ornot take their calls at all. WOW.

.. ..

While I am a huge proponent of communication in all relationships, I am at the same time, not a fan of the concept of “re-hashing”for the simple reason that we cannot undo what has been done since it residesin a past which no longer exists. If our reality is now, then we can only movefrom this point forward and it does not serve anyone to start out with adiscussion of past grievances. Hopefully, each person involved would have hadsufficient time to think about their role in the parting, while at the sametime understanding where the other person was coming from. Mistakes made in thepast do not need to be reviewed as a couple. Once the couple is back together,if some of the old “issues” arise, then they could be addressed at that time.However, if we let spirit take the lead, we would not expect the “old issues”because they were a part of the past and the assumption is that they no longerexist. What does exist is the person that is standing in front of you desiringthe same thing as you do; a new beginning .After all, it isn’t the “issues”that brings a couple back together, but rather all of the good memories and aspecial connection they feel. A spiritual person would choose to recognize thegrowth and the love or affection which brings the other person forward. Egowants to “re-hash”, spirit wants to “rejoice”.  

A reunion is a gift that each person gives to the other. Theyhonor the spirit within each other by seeking to transcend the ego difficultiesthat have existed. Each person chooses instead, to see the beauty of the soulbeneath. Love is indeed more powerful than fear.

This time of year just before Valentine's Day is a very stressful timefor people who are struggling with the romantic relationships in theirlives. Good communication is key to maintaining and developing goodrelationships whether they are romantic by nature or not. When I readthis article from Daily Om I thought it made perfect sense in pointingout how to improve communication between people.

Daily OM:

Communication

Centering and Expressing

Expressing ourselves honestly from a centered place is essential to our sense of well-being.

Whenwe are in a relationship where we feel listened to and understood, wecount ourselves lucky because we know how rare that experience is. Wereserve our most intimate selves for the people who, along with us,cocreate an open space where we feel free to express ourselves andlisten without judgment. These relationships, which thrive on opencommunication, can mean the difference between existential lonelinessand a deep sense of belonging. We all long to feel heard, understood,and loved, and clear communication makes this possible.

Sometimesproblems arise in the process of expressing how we feel, but it isalways worth it to do the work. Even in our less intimaterelationships, expressing ourselves honestly is essential to our senseof well-being. Whether at home with family or in the outside world,successful communication requires some forethought; otherwise we riskblundering through our relationships like the proverbial bull in achina shop. However, too much forethought can stifle us or cause us topad our words so extremely that we end up saying nothing at all orconfusing the matter further. The good news is that there are manymethods that can come to our rescue, from meditation to visualizationto journaling.

If the person we need to communicate with is opento sitting in meditation together for a set period of time beforespeaking, this can be invaluable. When we are calm and centered, we cancount on ourselves to speak and respond truthfully. We can alsomeditate on our own time and then practice what we need to say. Avisualization in which we sit with the person and lovingly exchange afew words can also be a great precedent to an actual conversation. Ifwriting comes easily, we can write out what we need to say; it may takeseveral drafts, but we will eventually find the words. The key is tofind ways to center ourselves so that we communicate meaningfully,lovingly, and wisely. In this way, we honor our companions and createrelationships in which there is a genuine sense of understanding andrespect. 

A lot of peoplehave been grumbling about 2009 wishing it well on its way. It has been a toughyear for many people. Within my circle of friends it seems that no one wasuntouched by some sort of extreme tension this past year. I would have toconcur with the general consensus having had a bit of a challenging yearmyself. However, as with all things in my life I prefer to think about all thepositives that this past year has brought. I was able to spend the majority ofthe year living with a close friend of mine. While living with anyone has itsups and downs I don’t feel there is any greater joy than being able to sharetime with a like minded person, even if what most of what you do is mundane.When done with a special friend, the mundane can be magical. I was alsofortunate to have met some new friends this year due mostly in part from a newspiritual group I have gotten involved with. This group has enriched my life byturning me toward some new possibilities to explore on my spiritual path. In thelast three months of the year, my business has been growing enough to besetting records. The change in my business has enabled me to move forward in mycareer by investing in some additional training that will shift my work path abit. I am now in a six month training program to become a Life Coach. Itoccurred to me a while ago that my tarot readings were often times turning intocoaching sessions once I had completed the tarot portion. I feel that someadditional training in this area will help me make what I’ve already been doing“official” and at the same time help me to grow my business and also todiversify it a bit.

In the end it was really the economy that brought most ofthe stress to the country as a whole with the continuing downward spiral, butas the year comes to a close there are more and more glimmers of light. As 2009says goodbye it send us on our way to the New Year in glorious fashion with abeautiful full moon in the sky, our second this month, making it a Blue Moon.As I stand amidst the crowds in downtown Denver watching the sky light up withsparkling fireworks I will bid a fond goodbye to 2009 saying thanks for themoments that brought me such joy and thanks for the chance to grow, to learnand be strong. My soul can’t think of a better gift. 

As we approach the full Moon of January in the emotionally oriented sign of Cancer, it's a good time to reflect on the important relationships in your life both friendship and romance .  I found this piece from Daily Om and thought I'd pass it on as food for thought this month.

FROM DAILY OM
Relationships

You may find that you are set in your ways when disagreements arise in your close relationships. Close relationships are often maintained by a give and take, which can be difficult if one is not willing to compromise. If one partner always finds themselves giving in, they may soon recognize the imbalance and seek a more willing partner. This is not to say that you need to change your views, but you could either allow that the other person may also be right or explain why you feel the way you do. Communication is key, and if you care about your partner and their welfare you will be willing to do what is necessary to show you care.

Being obstinate may be a defense mechanism we adopted long ago that no longer serves us. By being willing to look more deeply into ourselves and our motivations, we may be able to find the key to working with our partners more closely. You may find that the need to be right is less important than having a harmonious relationship. Go within to consider the disagreement and your choices in the light of your heart, mind, and intuition. By rising above your emotions, you may be able to act from your higher self, creating a stronger bond with those you love. Be willing to examine your actions and move from being uncompromising to understanding.