Alignment and Separation

The following are my own ideas and beliefs and I live by them. I write about my own life experiences and findings and as they are my own, I have the right and final authority to do so. Comments are welcome and disagreement is accepted, but arguments will never be entered into.


Alignment.
What do I mean by "alignment"?
Put simply, I mean to know yourself well enough, and to be brave enough, to be able to choose how you will design your life and follow through on fulfilling that blueprint-whatever it is, or isn't. It's your choice.Alignment is therefore to live in one's authentic state. To do this, a person must first know this state.


We can be living at varying degrees of alignment with our personalities  and this can be constantly changing. But what doesn't change is the sense of peace and equilibrium , joy and contentment that we experience when we are in that place of alignment.

Admiring the majesty of a massive waterfall, looking into the face of a loved one or engaging in a practise about which we are passionate are all doorways into our own personal authenticity and conscious connection with not only ourselves, but also the Source/God from which we come.

The more time and energy we give to those things that enhance this connectivity, the more aligned we become with who we really are, the happier we feel and the more opportunity is created for such endeavours. AS simplistic as this sounds, if we would just stay on this path, we would find all our desires awaiting the fulfilling. This is my absolute conviction.

"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you" Mt 6:33. In my previous blog , I referred to righteousness and alignment as being interchangeable. A person may align to many aspects of their beings without understanding the gift of righteousness. We are wired with talents and preferences and desires that make us who we are. In simply aligning with them, we will immediately experience a greater state of harmony.

So many people live so far away from their natural rhythms, rhymes and routines that this can be a huge difference. Still, the state of alignment that comes from relinquishing judgement is as far superior to this as gold is to copper.


Separation
What do I mean by 'separation'?
I consider separation to be a way of seeing oneself that is not congruent with the authentic state and to live out of synchrony with self, which leads to countless anomolies and raging pathologies that are so prolific as to now be considered normal. This life of "misalignment" has reached epidemic proportions.

All  supposed "enlightened" ones say much the same. It isn't just a Christian idea. But I feel Christianity, in its TRUE form addresses the problem like no other. This has been my experience.

If we go back to garden of Eden for a second, the story reveals that as soon as Adam and Eve ate of the tree of "the knowledge of good and evil", they felt guilty and wanted to hide. Separation and judgement came simultaneously.  When we are separate from our authentic selves, we are in a state of self judgement as well. It's inevitable.

No one living in their place of separation can restore the state of alignment completely. It must be done by one who is aligned. God, or Source's, authentic condition is unaffected by humanity's exploits. God alone has the capacity to re-callibrate us and has made a way for us to partake of that.
But it cannot be done via the Ego ( human effort) other than a simple willingness to allow it.

Ego and Authentic natures.
A person who wants to grow in Love and overcome their fears can get quite a long way if they are truly committed, but I feel that without this re-callibration, there will always come a point of undoing. For this is what the Law ( of sin and death) does. This is what was bought into when the fruit of that tree was bit into: the knowledge of good and evil is the awareness of JUDGEMENT.

It leads us to the knowledge that we are still suffering under judgement, experiencing separation and rejection. Not God's...for he made a way out of it, but under our own  if we do not partake of it. Our sense of Self never truly overcomes feeling unworthy, or feels fully valued or loved unconditionally.

Still we can achieve some wonderful elements of alignment as I said, in simply beginning to take time for those things that bring us deep and profound pleasure...even in simple things. Appreciation of and focus on these things will greatly improve the quality of our lives.

Ultimate Alignment
But the sense of "Resonant Recognition" that I experience in knowing myself as righteous in God, as a result of his gift ( of re-callibration) goes far beyond all this. The states I've experienced in being in oneness with Him and feeling God think my thoughts with me as his own and vice versa....this can only come from such an ultimate alignment. At least, I have known no other way. And whilst I do not claim to be in that consciousness all the time, I have known it as my own experience and more than a single freak occurrence.

In this place "resonant recognition", I feel my life path before me light up and vibrate back to me, the same way an  "A string" will respond to a 440hz tuning fork. As it leaps in recognition, so too does my path before me and I see with a certainty like never before.

The only thing I do is to stay focussed on what it means to be "the righteousness of God"-from the inside out...and as Mt 6:33 says...the rest is taken care of.

Living MY Life

Greetings all! Been some time since I blogged here, but I intend to be back quite regularly from now on. It's my plan to write here about being in "ultimate alignment" with one's greater Self and to share from my own life and experiences how I am doing that myself. It's my hope that some may read and find useful information and heart expanding inspiration.

 AGAPEISM-ULTIMATE ALIGNMENT In previous blogs, I am sure I have spoken at length on being aligned with one's authentic nature. It is this alignment that makes it possible for us to, not only identify what it is that we really desire for our lives, but also empowers us to attain and sustain that desired life. To lay a foundation,I would like to point out that there are two main forces at work within us. They are Love and Fear. These two qualities are diametrically opposed and I'd like to use the account of the Garden of Eden to show how. I will however insert other more contemporary terms so as to diminish the religious dogma attached to certain terms conveyed through centuries of poor use. Whether you believe this story literally as presented in the Bible , or whether you are simply willing to accept it as Myth, the meaning of the symbolism is clear and accurate for understanding the current state of the human psyche and the antidote for the "fallen", or fearful, human condition.

The Fall Ok,so humanity was created perfect. Just like God, by God "...and it was good". In their authentic and original state, Adam and Eve, or people in general, felt no sense of wrong or right, good or bad. Freedom of choice is how things got screwed up, but without freedom of choice we would have no consciousness to expand. And without a world of contrasts desire would not be stimulated to develop into that expansion.

 Put simply, I believe we entered physical form to come into the fullness of knowing ourselves as children of God/Love/Light. Rom 8 says something like this when it says "the creation was subject to frustration in hope that it would be freed from its bondage to decay".

What is exemplified in this scene (and I'm simplifying one aspect here) is that people chose becoming their own judges over living free of judgement. The two trees, or sources of empowerment and ways of living, were Life or the knowledge of good and evil. The first is powered by LOVE, breeding abundance, peace, joy and righteousness, or in general, alignment. This is the "authentic" state, harmonised to the spirit nature

The other Tree is powered by Fear and is characterised by lack, judgement and punishment, guilt, condemnation and MISalignment. It is the equivalent to what psychologists call the Ego, or Id. The bible calls it the sin nature. This word "SIN" has been SOOooo exploited that it has become totally loaded down with judgement but it simply means "to miss the mark". A person can never be fully aligned as long as any vestige of the 'sin'/ego nature lives. Fear and Love cannot co abide. The second one feels afraid, ashamed, inadequate, unacceptable, unclean, guilty, unworthy etc then one is living from their ego and not their authentic nature. It's CRUCIAL to realise, the fearful state is NOT YOUR NATURAL OR AUTHENTIC STATE. Righteousness ( or alignment) is.

The Quest So, the point of life is to make our own choice between the trees. Each one of us can choose for ourselves which of the fruits we will eat. The ego resists this ALL THE WAY, filling the soul with dread, because to choose the tree of Life is to annihilate the lower aspects of Self. It is literally DEATH to the ego. And it feels like it...until you do it. Once that whole hearted choice is made...REAL life floods the being and the old way pales away as the worthless counterfeit it is as a source of love, joy or peace or security. In ensuing blogs, I will talk about the kinds of fear/lack/guilt/shame and condemnation I've learnt to leave behind...and I'll share how I did so. My entire life has been dedicated to understanding these states and how to live truly free. It's been an ever deepening work in progress and my heart is in an ever expanding process-just like the universe from which it has been spawned. So here's to Ultimate Alignment through Agapeism. Agape is Greek for the Love that is the energy of ALL-That-Is and Agapeism is a commitment to living through Agape. This is my quest.

New Designer Routines

New Designer Routines
Whether you feel you wanted change or not, there is a deeper part of you that will initiate it for your growth and expansion. I like to deliberately work with mine and believe myself to be the instigator, guided by the Source of life. Viewing any and all change from this proactive and positive perspective will make transition MUCH easier.

Managing Change in Your Life of Transition.

As a child I was moved around a lot. Not only were my geographical situations changing often, so were my circle of friends and even my family members. I had to deal with a lot of quite traumatic adjustments from very early on. As difficult as this was, I grew up as something of an expert on change. I focussed on the excitement of the new more than the passing of the old. This doesn’t mean I didn’t feel the emotional impact, but it did strengthen me to grow beyond fearing change and helped me to see that waves of “change” will always come and I can choose to be overwhelmed by them or ride with their power.

One major key, I believe, in maintaining some level some of equilibrium in a sea of flux is to have personal anchors.

Anchors and Cornerstones

At 21 and a young single mum of two children only 13months apart, I continued to move around a lot, but one thing that never changed was the routine I set for my babies. This meant that no matter where we were, we ate and slept and held to certain daily “rituals” and I was always the one there looking after them. The core of our life was stable and so the souls of our little family were peaceful and “safe”.

In each of our lives we can begin with the fundamentals basics of daily living that will immediately release a lot of stress and begin to set up a harmonious flow for us, from which we can grow and expand, adapt and absorb the other ripples new circumstances and relationships of all kinds can bring.

I heard of a woman once had MANY children ( more than my five), but she taught them that when she sat with a scarf or large handkerchief over her face, they were to leave her alone. That was her space. It doesn’t take much to begin to create an anchor for yourself but you do need to know what nurtures your soul.

Daily routines are, in my opinion, the absolute BEST place to start.

Ebbs and Flows

With changes to circumstance, some major things stay the same but elementary changes occur. For example, in moving to the beach, I still go for my walk each morning, but something as simple as entering the beach from the south as opposed to the north disrupted other patterns I had constructed around that element. Now, instead of going to the Surf club for a coffee and writing, I can come home and do so from my deck. But this led to other ripple effects of change that would no longer occur, such as being at the club and being given “rewards” for frequenting that I had enjoyed.

I consider these types of changes very fluid. The foundational practice of walking is preserved, but the subsidiary practices undergo a new flow. Now, I go there on my evening walk, which had only just begun, but now is more permanent. Allowing the fluidity of these ripples to help me form NEW practices is part of the excitement, and sometimes challenge, of change.

When patterns are disrupted it is as if all elements are thrown into a swirl around us and if we are patient and trust the process, they will fall into new places and slot comfortably back in with a freshness that is stimulating to our creative force. What doesn’t fit back in will fall easily aside, ending a cycle for now. You can afford to let them go. 

Breaking Out

This is the challenging aspect to adjusting in a new life of some sort. And form of transition requires a strengthening that comes THROUGH THE PROCESS OF CHANGE. A tiny chick in a shell has a certain amount of food , oxygen and stamina as available resources to get out of that dark place and emerge into the light. It looks, and indeed is, such hard work for a fragile new life, but utterly essential if that chick is to survive the life beyond and flourish.

The same with the butterfly, locked in a deep sleep within a chrysalis.

As with the chick, as with the butterfly, so it is with us. In The Alchemist, the notion of “beginner’s luck” is mentioned as one embarks upon their journey to their new life. But it seems that once launched with Universal blessing, the rug is pulled out from under our feet! In truth, it is so that we develop completely into the person who having arrived at this new life, can now sustain it. the book says it is important to complete the process, so we can understand all things pertaining to it.

The odds haven’t suddenly been stacked against you, nor the blessing removed. It’s not bad luck or misfortune but ALL part and parcel of the very same path. Persevere. Remain consistent and do what you need to stay in that place of confidence and peace, trusting the process and holding to your anchors.

Once delivered, adjusting to the “light” takes a little while, but is not so hard for there are many pleasures on this side of the mountain and you were “born for it”!

Emergence into Full Flight

Now you are ready and fully equipped for this new phase of life. Greater heights of freedom, deeper and more profound joys are yours. Enjoy!

My Life My Design

One Decision Can Slowly Save Your Life

A very little over a year ago, I made a seemingly small, but rather significant decision. I love the beach. I love it in all kinds of weather and for all kinds of reasons. It is just one of those places where I find it so easy to feel connected to God. Rainforests, trees, gardens, wildlife, singing, writing, drawing, sitting on a sun soaked deck in winter, or listening to the song of the wind play in the leaves-all of these are joy for me this way. February 2010, I decided I wouldn’t wait to move beach front before I enjoy the beach daily. My decision was to be down there, walking its length and back every day. I wanted to create the state of feeling like I already lived there. I live 6 kms west of our incredible Ozzie Gold Coast.

Over the last year, I built Burleigh into my psyche as the place I want to be permanently and I made a powerfully resonant connection.

Alignment brings Freedom

The first and immediate advantage was that I was getting a 4km (50 min) walk every day and some nice colour. It didn’t take long for me to feel like Burleigh was My beach. I wanted Burleigh beach front and I was there faithfully. Sometimes I swam, and other times I lay in the sun. Even though I’ve always felt this way about the beach, and lived close by for the 15 years before that, I hadn’t done any of these things since I was a kid. I had suffered from eating disorders and body image issues and so had deprived myself of decades of pure pleasure. How tragic that we humans do such things. But one choice aligned to your inner Truth can change it all.

I felt SO good even on that first day, that I felt inspired to do a video ( for my Utube channel) and call it Designer Alignment which became the first of a year-long DIY Designer Living Series. I also birthed a Blog Talk Radio radio show and blog series by the same name.

Do What You Love

The point is this one decision was so aligned to my authentic nature and things I desire and am passionate about, that the next year has brought wave after wave of new freedoms that have rippled directly out from that one intentional act. I knew I was wanting to create in myself the state of being harmonious to living at the beach, but the “across the board” shifts this brought to every area of my life has left me breathless with joy.

Firstly, the exercise which provoked better eating, and all that productivity and creativity (photography/writing) sprang from it. But also, I felt so much better about everything and about myself and so much more at home on the sand that I even began to lie in a bikini when sunning. This was a HUGE step. The beach feels “safe” to me. These new levels of freedom just grew stronger and stronger to the point where I can genuinely say I so love my body (called Rosita lol) exactly as she is and this confidence has an impact on everything, not least of all my performances. I am a professional musician/singer and looking and feeling your best counts for a lot!

Fears Fall, Love Reigns and Life is Lived to the Full.

The personal expansion and growth I’ve been experienced continues to amaze and delight me. A year ago I couldn’t see how I could have a place on the beach at Burleigh. I just believed I could and would manifest it at some point. Now, a year later, both of my remaining offspring ( I have five) moved out within 8 days of each other and I find myself in a position to find my new dream place. I am applying for one tomorrow that is perfect!

Another lovely realisation I’ve had this last week, is that I’ve started to “play” in the waves and body surf again. I find myself laughing, tumbling and enjoying the activity amid flashbacks to my 12 yr old days in Avalon ( Sydney’s Northern beaches) which would have been the last time I did that. I had become so self conscious about my body after that, and fearful of the waves that I couldn’t enjoy these things any more.

Both of these barriers to living my life fully and completely and joyfully, have crumbled under the power of this one aligned and whole hearted decision, which led to consistent action that broke through to create this new state of being.

These days I’m down there morning and night-closing the distance to my brand new life as a single, dependentless individual and transitioning fully into the life I began to consciously create a year ago.

What this Means to You

Figure out, if you don’t know already, what it is that you deeply desire. Choose one thing and think about what you can begin to do NOW and in an ongoing way, to begin to generate that state for you. A simple example could be that you want to grow your own food. A vegie garden and chook pen could be too much but some potted tomato vines, sprout tubs and small herb planters are easily undertaken. BEGIN! Don’t wait till you finally have that larger lot. Begin and watch what happens inside you as you continue along the path that is authentically you.

The Art of Resistance and Allowing

Hi All!

I know I've not been here for a while but I've been busy in a lot of other places. ( such as my site http://lisashahescape.com and Facebook...and you tube...and Blog Talk...yada yada

However, I thought I'd like to start adding some of my art/writing/music work here.
So here is one that I'm going to be using as inspiration for further works which hopefully will be compiled into an interactive art coffee table book. Cool idea huh?

The 'clash' of opposing forces all seem to work with

one intent in the Hands of the Great Creator

to bring forth masterpieces that share no rival.

"The Art of Resistance and Allowing"

“The Art of Allowing Resistance” I love the movement, even in the static elements, as well as the wonderful contrasts in the textures, substances, line,design and form. Never the same, it’s the ever changing display in the dance of creating art, at the liminal point where water and land meet. Always perfect to my eyes.

I think that’s how we look as spirits in the universe, meeting flesh. Encountering contrast and conflict, learning how to flow in who we are and making beautiful art of it all in the process. As stunning as any fireworks could be!

Lisa In Oz

P.S. I f anyone chooses to save and use my artwork, please post a link to where you found it and give credit to the artist. This would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Inseparable

Live Like You Mean It Pt 2!

Last week I wrote a little about this, inspired by my time in a Surf Museum. Below, are a couple of paragraphs I'd like to bring to your remembrance.

DO What YOU Love

Something about the raw passion of the people who had surfed those boards infiltrated my soul. The old boards murmured to me of days gone by-of laughter, sun, personal challenge, edgy lifestyles and travel...living the dream...I saw 'flashbacks' and felt the purity of passion based adrenalin rushes and the exhilaration of truly LIVING LIFE--for the sheer joy of it!

I want to reunite people with this immense sense of connection and oneness...through their passions. We really DO touch God through the intense pleasure we know when we are living passionately. They, our passionate desires, are our key to ALL we could ever want to know, have or experience. My heart ached with longing not only to sing my own song, but to see others release their own. To not die with their song unsung and their vision still in their bellies like a still born child. I felt a sense of urgency to make this my priority.

The words “Do what you love! Do what you love! Do...” kept rolling over and over as I felt the energy in that room of people that had done just that!

This wasn’t something just for me to “tell” others. It was a resonating admonition to LIVE it before others in order that they may be empowered and encouraged to do so themselves. It was a strong reminder to me to document my journey, taking others with me, allowing them to see HOW I do it.

Two Degrees off Truth

How much of your time is spent doing what you love doing?

How often do you find yourself groaning over what you feel you MUST do?

Or are you one of those people who has begun to make those changes and have created a niche marketing some version of your passion but it doesn’t quite “hit the mark” for you?

I have always felt I would, could and should write books and be a successful author. I also believed I could be famous as a singer. I am a firm believer that if you have a strong desire for something, then you have within you the means to release some version of that desire that fulfils you AND sustains you-financially as well. We are MEANT to be happy in our vocations.

Yes, I want to write. I am a chronic journaler. I don’t just WANT to write. I HAVE to in order to make sense of my world and balance all the day’s activities in an orderly way. And I feel I have so MUCH to say, but whenever I “try” to write a conventional non-fiction book, the gears just seem to seize up.

I think I’ve finally realised that the love I have for “making” books is where I need to place my efforts. I LOVE making books-out of the weirdest things! I love surprising people with a snippet from my life that falls out of an “Eclipse” mints tin, or reads through round pages stored in a CD case. I love making books out of boxes and boxes out of books and I love adding texture, sound, scent.

Now, when it comes to writing fiction...that’s a different story entirely. And I think it’s because it is a STORY. I am a storyteller, and I like sharing the stories from my own life immensely. I dubbed myself the Family Scribe- “The Maker and Keeper of Memory”. I want all my children and their children and their children to know me and about my adventures. Just teh same way I wish I knew such things about those in my history.

I want the chance to love and be loved by them.

I am an artistic and experiential storyteller who wants to share the tales of her life for the inspirational benefit of others. To try and write a conventional self help book is to be TWO DEGREES off my mark. It doesn’t flow.

It would never give me the joy, satisfaction or fulfilment that making my own book will. So I have asked myself the question for years and argued about the value of such books for any other than my family. But it is not the BOOKS that I need to market. IT IS THE PROCESS.

Understanding how you can find something inside the perfect version of doing what you love is the key. But you will never find it by stepping sideways into a lesser likeness of it.

Think unconventionally. Give your most fiery passion and deepest delight your time and energy. Think about WHY you love what you do and how can you use it to help others experience that feeling. Please live your BEST life!

Live Like You Mean It!

I think people start thinking somewhere along the line that “it’s too late” for some reason. Either there isn’t enough time left for them to reach some level of success with their passion, or they are too deeply invested in an alternate reality.

This just isn’t true. Yes, I know it can look like it but you really don’t have to bulldoze the whole mountain to begin to feel the fire of having reached its summit. You can make the tiniest turns toward your true core and begin to experience the magic of living in that place of fulfilment.

I guarantee that when a person is truly ready to sell out to bringing passion back to the centre of their lives, colourful ways to traverse the lack lustre landscape will appear. It’s never too soon to believe in an impossible dream and it’s never too late to go for it. You're never too young or too old.

I once heard someone say something like “if you’re dream is easily attainable you’re aiming too low”. You are the Creator of you own Experience. The spinner of your own story, the writer of your own script, the painter of your own masterpiece...be extravagant!

It’s time to “Live like you mean it!!”

:-)

J