Appearances Can Be Deceiving

You are exactly where you need to be. The scene before you may appear, at first glance, to not be changing but it is – in subtle ways. So it is with all things that are worth waiting for. The transitions will appear to be invisible but they are unfolding regardless of appearances. Just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they’re not happening.

You come here to me to recommit to your far away vision. You know what is beyond the horizon. You know what awaits you but the pathways between here and there are obscured.

All I ask is that you don’t give up before the victory. Trust that the uninterrupted expanse that lays out before is not as empty as it appears. The rains will soon come and the dry fields will become lush. Don’t allow that which presents itself to you today dissuade you from your mission. Transformation is upon us.

Your Doubt on Stage

When the time comes for you to step forth, the carpet and the tent will be waiting. When it comes time to step out onto the stage, the audience, the lights and the script will be prepared.

Cathy, there is a stage prepared for everyone. All the cast and all the crew will be assembled. All the crowds waits for is the star attraction—you.

[Now, when I say “you” don’t think that there is anything particularly special about you. Everyone is equally special. I know you have a propensity for judging and ranking but put that aside. This is not about you being a star—more gifted or spectacular than the next person. This is not about you in the particular. There is a stage that awaits everyone. Everyone is the star of their own show, their own extravaganza.]

You, in particular, want a bigger stage and so you shall have one. I understand that your big stage is not about you serving your ego. I understand that you resist this inclination. But. your vision is big, and so shall the manifestation be.

What you need to do to get where you want to go is to continue to honor the voice that speaks to you so quietly. You sit here with me each morning to amplify that voice. And that, Cathy, is what you want for others. You want them to develop the tools and the capacity so they can hear their own inner voice. You know this voice wants to be heard. You understand that the messages embedded in this voice—my voice—will be the force that heals the world.

My desire, my intent is simple. I want each and everyone of you to be who you are, who you were born to be. You are each imbued with all the gifts and talents and circumstances you need to get exactly what you want. You are missing nothing. You have everything you need to have everything you want. This is my message to you.

You, Cathy, understand that and have taken it upon yourself to do all in your power to live from that stance. I congratulate you and invite you to trust even more. I will not desert you. I will not. I will continue providing you the tools and strength and courage you need to take the next step. And yes, I know you are grateful and you are scared and you have moments, almost every other moment, in which you doubt my existence and my sincerity. It is that doubt that will be your liberation. It will be your calling card. It is who you are and, therefore, your salvation.

Nothing is wasted. Your doubt, your floundering faith is such an integral part of who you are. Allow it to come center stage. That is the voice with which you can, and maybe should, speak. It is who are and, therefore, perfect. I created all the circumstances for you and your perpetual questioning is one of the most influential. Your doubt is not an albatross but a gift.

Share yourself, share your process. Be vulnerable. Be real, Be authentic. You will be rewarded. I will reward you.

I am the gentle reminder

Cathy, what is it about your journey that is worth your attention? That should be the essence and the content of your messages. That is MY essence. I am only interested in that which serves the greater good. And so it should be with you.

You were born with a unique and perfect set of qualities and gifts. They are in a constellation designed and delivered specifically to you. As you develop you are changed and morphed by your circumstances into yet another unique constellation. Your task now is to allow the stars that make up the constellation to shine.

All too often you produce clouds and rain to obscure their magnificence. You come to me for help to uncover them, pull back the curtain and allow them to be seen in all their brilliance. If and when you allow your greatness to be seen the viewer will light up as well. That’s how this thing called life and relationships works. Others want to see you shine because it means they can too. Some will feel diminished and judgmental but you need not, and should not, focus on them. Surround yourself with others who are polishing their light for grander performances. They will appreciate and feed off your willingness.

The simple truth is that you have everything you need already. There is nothing missing. You will learn more as you progress but you have everything you need right now to take the next step. So proceed. Take the next step. The carpet awaits your ready feet. Open your mouth and let the pearls of who you are spill forth. You needn’t worry because everything you do, say and perform will be perfect. Even those instances that you will interpret as shameful are for you or someone else's good. I waste nothing. You are the only ones who are wasteful.

As I have been saying for month’s—just proceed. One foot in front of the other. Trust that the goodness of who you are and your greater calling are being supported by me. Remember that I am your greatest resource, I am your bank, I am the strength to which you turn.

And who am I, you ask? I am the limitless reservoir and repository of the best of you. I am that which you call your greater yet to be. I am the word you call your potential. I am the you you know you’re capable of being. I am the gentle reminder.

50!

Tomorrow is my 50th birthday.

I only want one thing for my birthday — to have a good time. That is most definitely assured as we have rented a beautiful house in Point Reyes and are having nine amazing friends for the weekend. As one of my colleagues said, ”Sounds very Big Chill”. Yes, indeed.

I have been anxious about the event. The butterflies have not been about crossing the demarcation into the second half of a century, but about performance anxiety. It’s been about the discomfort that comes when people pay attention to me. I worry about everyone having a good time, their sleeping arrangements and food choices, bla, bla, bla.

But this morning, as the bags of food lay ready at the front door and Judit is off buying my cake, I feel calm, grateful, centered, eager. This morning and this weekend, I claim myself to be open to all that unfolds; willing to see and absorb the truth as it presents itself to me; grounded and strengthen by what I know; and a fully expressed embodiment of who I am.

Yes, indeed. I’m 50 and I like it.

The Light Awaits

There are times when the lights are bright and designed to illuminate. Then there are times when the corners and caves are dark and perfect for hiding. Each phase of life requires different lighting. Today, as you embark on your fiftieth celebration you are being called up to dwell in the light. You are being called up to stand in the light, have it reflect off of you so that those who love you can bask in YOUR light. They love you. They want to stand before you and honor you. They want to celebrate who you are in their lives.

Cathy, the lights can be hot. They can reveal your imperfections but it is the place you are meant to be for now. The dark and dank corners of darkness are not your destination. There is a time and place for hiding but now is not one of them.

Come out from behind the curtain. The spotlight awaits your arrival.

Today's Affirmation

Exposure is good.

Take the Fork

Be with yourself quietly so that you can see your true potential. As long as your mind resides only in the comings and goings of your day to day you will only see the mundane. You must expand beyond that which you have already experience. You have been traveling down the same road for some time now. There are forks in the road ahead that seem to veer off the cliff. They seem scary but if you dare look ‘round the corner you will seen a broader vista. You must trust that the road will not fall away into oblivion. You must trust that even if the ground beneath you does crumbles there will be a net that catches you.

The question I most want to pose is: what will be the fuel that carries you forward? What nourishment will you require to keep moving forward? What reward will be waiting for you across the finish line? Think on this because you will need to maintain your vision and passion when the warmth of the sun has faded and the cupboard appears bare. Hold fast to that which you know to be true, regardless of the physical evidence . Hold fast to your grand vision. It may seem too vast and impossible but that is only because you don’t believe it possible. Believe it possible and you will be rewarded with the pleasure of seeing it some to pass.

Cathy, what is most true is that if you hold fast that which is true it will become True. What I know to be true is that you are a bundle of life and love. I need say no more.

Today’s Affirmation

I am alive and capable of magic.

Interpretation

I come to you each morning so that you may remember that there is more than meets the eye. The well-carved pathways in your mind tell you only of the paths you have already been down. But remember, what presents itself before your mind's eye is open to interpretation. The past can be a slippery minefield of regret or a garden of wisdom ready to be harvested. The choice is yours to make. And, the future? The well-traveled pathways that brought you here need not be evidence for where you will be tomorrow. You are free to chart new territory. The path before you can be, if you so choose, a trip through utterly unknown, unexplored lands or it can traverse the familiar terrain. The decision is yours to make.

How you interpret what you perceive will determine how you feel about your life.

Today's Affirmation

My pathways have been and always will be unencumbered and paved in gold.