“Happiness is available. Help yourself.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

I recently came across this Charles Darwin quote: “It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.” And it occurred to me that the way for us to move forward in these challenging times is to be open and receptive to new ways of doing things.

Here are a few ideas for us to consider to support that quest.

• Set aside a sacred space at home where, for a few minutes each day, we can connect with our Source. Then, give ourselves the gift of time to do that. Ask for guidance and grace.
• Engage our imagination. Use this time to consider new possibilities – ways to re-balance our lives and shape new opportunities for the future.
• Review our values and priorities to remind us of our path, and the true definition and sources of our wealth.
• Make a list of all our talents, skills and accomplishments to remind us that we are empowered.
• Join or initiate a focus or support group of like minded people with whom we can brainstorm, share ideas and obtain feed-back.
• Do a little house and office cleaning and organizing. Clearing out and ordering our physical environment shifts the energy and makes room for what awaits us.
• Take a walk and take in the beauty of the season. Some of my best ideas have come to me while in motion in fresh air.
• Hold positive thoughts and smile. Research shows that smiling causes positive changes in the body’s chemistry.
• Give thanks. To everyone for everything.

I wish you abundant peace and good health, and a generous sufficiency of all good things. And most of all, the ability to be open, receptive and empowered to change.

As our grandmothers knew, chicken soup has great healing properties. When we are tired or unwell, however, we are sometimes unable to do much in the way of preparing food for ourselves.

This recipe is easy, simple and nourishing. Most of the ingredients can be kept on hand in the pantry, fridge and freezer so that we can easily feed ourselves something good and good for us.

• 1 – 32 oz carton chicken broth (preferably an organic brand)
• 1 cup or less thin carrot slices
• 1 cup or more chopped fresh spinach leaves or arugula
• 1 or 2 chopped scallions
• 1 handful fresh cilantro (if you like it)
• A little lemon juice

Put broth and carrots in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and stir in spinach, scallions and cilantro. Cover and let sit 2 or 3 minutes until greens are wilted. Spoon into a bowl and add a little lemon juice.

Some chicken meat can be added if you wish. If raw, cut into small pieces and add with the carrots. If cooked, cut into small pieces and add with the greens.

Enjoy.

• Slice a some fresh ginger into a pot or cup.
• Pour boiling water over it
• Let it steep 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add fresh lemon juice and honey to taste.
• Drink and enjoy.

Aids digestion and warms the body and soul.

Sometimes all it takes is a change in attitude to deliver us from difficulties.

Some years ago, I found myself in an internal conflict over a situation with one of my  clients. Although I cannot remember what it was about, at that time it was of such importance that it was holding my attention and imagination hostage. What I do remember is, whatever it was I wanted was not available to me at that time.

So there I was, rolling down the freeway in the clutches of the aggravation and attachment to my desired outcome. Having worked myself up into a froth of frustration, I finally remembered I could ask for help.

“Please,”  I assailed my Source, “Help me! I can’t figure out how to resolve this. What am I supposed to do? Give me a sign!”

Just then, my exit presented itself and I as I veered off the freeway and around a sweeping curve to merge into a boulevard of traffic, there to my right was a red and white triangular sign that simply said . . . Yield.

It was another block or two before the full impact of the message blossomed in my mind. Stunned into stillness by the subtle simplicity of its wisdom, I was able to let go of the way I thought things should be and be with the way things were. As my mind floated free from resistance, my whole body relaxed and a sense of relief and hopefulness flooded through me. Yield! Ah so.

To this day, I am unable to remember the factual content of this conflict to include in this story. But as it turns out, the story is not about the content. The story is about the process. Once I was able to yield my position as an opposing force, of pushing against the other person’s position, I was free to consider other possibilities. Those included a number of different solutions and outcomes and also the option of simply waiting until a resolution I hadn’t thought of came my way.

The esoteric science of Alchemy offers us the principle,  “Tertium non datur,” which translates as “The third thing is not given.” I interpret this as meaning that on the level at which a conflict or opposition arises, the solution is not available. One must step aside, yield as it were, to release the pressure of pushing against the other, to release the need to defend or aggress.

This yielding is not a giving up or resigning ourselves to loss or failure. It is a position of fluidity that allows us new perspectives. This in turn allows us to access our Fair Witness, who, free from judgment, is able to entertain all possibilities and who has the broad vision to help us seek a wise resolution.

Once there, we can feel safe enough to open our hearts to compassion, for ourselves and the other, and to access the courage to change. Once there, we can give up our small desires for some larger solution, something with benefit for all.

As we enter the 21st century, riding high on the edge of the Information Age, we find ourselves in an era of unlimited possibilities. We have access to more information than at any other time in history. We receive daily communications from all over the world, many of them contradictory. We receive offers on radio, television and the internet, in the mail and in the mall, most of them unrealistic.
We are exhorted to purchase, to consume, to give, to join. We are offered beauty, status, riches and pleasure. We are told that with the right toothpaste, designer suits and cellular phones, we will acquire power, success and love. The message is, whatever we can imagine, we can have . . . somehow.

In my years as a professional organizer, I have observed that human beings are not well suited to unlimited possibilities. Living without boundaries on a daily basis produces anxiety, insecurity and frustration. Without a clear definition of how we choose to spend our time, we fall prey to every interesting outside stimulus, and are easily caught in the ‘webb’ and flow of the urgent but not important. We are spread too thin, often practicing crisis management, and everything never gets done.

Recreation becomes another thing to do and is quickly set aside when deadlines demand. We get to rest if we get the flu. And spending time doing nothing is often viewed as suspicious if not downright immoral. Even when we manage to steal a few hours for ourselves, we are pursued by anxiety and guilt. When all options are constantly available, little can be accomplished in depth or with a sense of well being, and over a period of time depression and exhaustion can result.

When I sit with clients as they look over their lists and schedules, struggling to select their priorities, I realize that our choices are no longer between good and bad, want and don’t want, or even better and best. Most of the things we want are the best, but are simply too much and too many for a single lifetime.

I believe that we can derive satisfaction and contentment from our lives only if we set limits for ourselves. If they are natural and comfortable, compassionate and realistic, they will produce results and will be easy to endure. If they arise from a value system which honors those things which fulfill us in the deepest sense of our being, they will inspire us and bring us joy.

The paradox is that by choosing limits, we can experience a measure of freedom not possible when all possibilities are constantly available.

© 1990, 2009 Anacaria Myrrha ~ All Rights Reserved

Sometimes there are days when we simply don’t feel well. When we are restless, tired, depressed. When we are suffering from undefined, random discontent.

Here are lists of some of my remedies. Different approaches work at different times. When I am in a funk, I look them over and choose, not what I think I need, but rather what will nourish me at that time.

To Reduce Stimulation

• Turn off the TV, radio, computer.
• Turn down lights.
• Turn up candles.
• Seek solitude.
• Get quiet.

To Increase Stimulation

• Play music.
• See a movie.
• Call a friend or friends.
• Get together.
• Laugh, sing, dance.

For Nourishment

• Take a warm bath.
• Eat something both good and good for you.
• Read something funny, interesting, inspiring.
• Take a walk.
• Take a nap.
• Get a good night’s sleep. Get two.
• Extend a kindness to someone else.

And Always

• Breathe deeply.
• Pray.
• Ask for guidance, & listen.
• Give thanks to everyone for everything.

Start a list of what works for you. Then, when you forget, you can get it out and be reminded. Remember, our forgetting function is very highly evolved!

Excerpted from An Invitation to An Extraordinary Life
© 2009 Anacaria Myrrha ~ All Rights Reserved

From time to time, we may get caught up in a cycle of regret, remorse or resentment. These states of being drag us into the mire of negativity and drain our resources.

Here’s a simple affirmation to help free you up. I don’t know where it came from but I thank those who created it and those who made me aware of it, for I find it has fierce healing power.

I forgive myself  for all those things for which I need forgiveness.

I forgive all those who need my forgiveness.

I ask forgiveness from all those whose forgiveness I need.

Repeated in sets of three, it gains power and momentum.

When you are saying it, allow transgressions to arise and be forgiven. Visualize those with whom you are in resentment or remorse and open yourself to mercy, for yourself and for them. Be willing to allow forgiveness to happen. If your heart will not yet open sufficiently to allow it, ask your Source to allow the forgiveness for you until you are able to do it.

Notice what happens. Notice the feelings that arise. Notice where you close, where you are able to open.

Breathe.

Keep making space for it all.

Keep letting go.

Regular practice of forgiveness increases our capacity for happiness.

Excerpted from An Invitation to An Extraordinary Life
©  2009 Anacaria Myrrha ~ All Rights Reserved

“Be glad of life because it gives you a chance to live and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.”

Henry Van Dyke
1852-1933
American clergyman, educator, author

“In life we cannot avoid change, we cannot avoid loss. Freedom and happiness are found in the flexibility and ease with which we move through change.”

Jack Kornfield, Buddha’s Little Instruction Book

The one thing in this world of which we can be certain is that all things are in a state of constant change. The stock market goes up – and down. The kids get the flu – and get well. The seasons come – and go. People are born – and die. Every day we are challenged to find ways to remain stable and functional through these changes.

Several years ago, when someone asked me to articulate the benefits of being organized, I came up with the usual list. When we are organized we save time and energy. We have reliable access to tools, information, documents and possessions. We experience an increase in clarity, creativity, productivity, and effectiveness. We feel less stressed and anxious, and we find ourselves surrounded by a more aesthetically pleasing environment. And if we have planned accordingly, we have guilt free time to rest, relax and play.

Later, as I contemplated this list, I realized that these were results of being organized. But the questions that kept arising in my mind were, why and how? During my ruminations, I turned, as I often do, to my dictionary and found this definition: “to organize: to put together into an orderly, functional, structured whole.”

When we create an orderly, functional structure, whether it be a reliable filing system, a realistic spending plan or a compassionate schedule of self-care, we provide ourselves with the possibility of harmonious interplay within a world of constant movement and change. The kitchen is organized and easy to use so that when stocked with good food, we can feed ourselves easily and well. The laundry can be easily done so that we can quickly clothe ourselves for the tasks of the day without stress. The children’s homework and field trip permission slips are at hand when we are ready to walk out the door. Records can be found at tax time. And we have a realistic schedule and an up-to-date To Do List to help us plan our days so that things get done in the right order in a timely manner.

An orderly, functional structure gives us the ability to dance more freely and gracefully to the music of the day. And this harmonious interplay lends us stability from moment to moment through the constant changes of our lives. This stability enables us to flow through changes rather than be knocked off our feet.

When we experience a sense of stability, we feel secure, and this security, in turn, fosters confidence and peace of mind. This state of confidence and peace allows us to access our creativity, enhances our ability to think clearly about our choices, and increases our capacity to cope, to prevail, and to thrive.

It is important that these structures be flexible and adaptable in order to support our work and our play, and to enhance our capacity to live constructive, compassionate and generous lives.

And it is essential that they be created with our values, our life purpose and our priorities in mind if they are to support us in our quest for an Extraordinary Life.

Excerpted from An Invitation to An Extraordinary Life
© 2009 Anacaria Myrrha ~ All Rights Reserved