Meeting the neighbors

Yesterday, Christmas Day, after my son left to see his dad for a couple of hours and before we would be leaving for my sister's for dinner, I decided to meet my neighbors. It had occurred to me a couple of weeks before that I really didn't know my neighbors anymore. The neighborhood had turned over, and I realized this was really a very easy thing to remedy. And, I had a desire to do it. So, I took off down the street with candy canes in hand, and started knocking on doors.

As you can imagine, a couple of houses didn't respond to my knock or doorbell ring. I understand. Often, the person standing on the other side of the door is wanting to sell you something, whether that's a product, service, or form of religious observance! I, however, wanted nothing more than to say hello and hand out a candy cane, so I let those couple of no shows go and continued on my quest. Not only did most people open their doors, they invited me in, introduced me to the family, thanked me for making the effort, and promised to reciprocate. I met the family dogs, found out who they knew in the neighborhood, where they were from -- lots of good stuff.

A couple of families stand out. After one neighbor, Mark, opened the door, I introduced myself and said I was a neighbor just wishing them Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas. I extended my hand and he said that wouldn't do and hugged me. He proceeded to introduce me to everyone -- mom, brother, sister-in-law, niece, three dogs -- and they invited me up to Prescott the next time they were there. He said it just takes a little effort for something wonderful to begin. I also visited another neighbor who has been in the neighborhood as long as I have. In fact, when my son was in elementary school, he went to this neighbor's house to borrow some milk for a cake we were making. I stopped by, said hi, and wished them a good day. Michael invited me over to have dessert with his family. I couldn't make it, but it was such a lovely way to say thank you.

I visited about 10 houses over 45 minutes. Such a little effort, really, but one that was such a beautiful experience. I ask myself, why didn't I do this before? Who knows? I obviously wasn't interested, or ready to extend myself.

This little effort reminds me of the truth of who we are -- all love, all connected. Is this something you would consider doing? I highly recommend it. Who knows, you might enjoy it!

Love,
Andrea

Trust

There really is only one thing we need to feel okay, day in and day out: trust. Would you agree? Ultimately, as I've heard another author state, we must fall into the arms of the universe and trust.

I have experienced times when I was so connected to that greater source -- the source of love -- that I trusted absolutely. I had no doubts, no concerns, just the complete knowledge that things were as they should be, and my place in the scheme of things was one hundred percent right and perfect. This was not an intellectual thing -- it was a deep, unconditional knowing.

Those have been delicious times.

I must admit I don't live there. I would like to, but I don't. Not yet. I'm working on it. Maybe I'll get there this lifetime, maybe not. Regardless, I savor those moments when I trust, when I love, when I know that all is well. You?

Love,
Andrea

Lower your shield

The other night, in anticipation of a speech I was giving the next day, I woke up at 3:30 a.m. with an idea I knew I had to incorporate into the speech. My authentic voice was speaking to me, and I've learned to listen. I've also learned to write it down right then, because I could forget it, or at least part of it. The juice is in the moment, and I now know not to let it get away from me. So, I got up and found a piece of paper and a pen and wrote it down, then went back to bed.

Here's the idea: Do you remember in the Star Trek shows, the captain would ask if the other ship's shields were up or down? If they were up, then they might be prepared to fire. If they were down, they were less of a threat, because they surely wouldn't have their shields down if they were planning an attack.

I think this is the same for us. When we have our shields up -- our guards -- we send a message to others that there is something to fear. Our intention is to protect ourselves, but that is not how it is interpreted. Most of us interpret this guardedness as "unfriendliness," when in reality it's just fear. So, what do we get? Guardedness in return. Perhaps even unfriendliness.

On the other hand, when our shields are down, we send the message that we mean no harm. We are friendly. We are open. What do we get in return? A better chance that others will be friendly in return.

Where does this guardedness come from? Most of us have had enough experiences in life to be wary. After awhile, it becomes unconscious. We don't even realize we have our guards up. I know this has been true for me. Sometimes it's called shyness, sometimes being reserved. The bottom line -- we're not open and we block not only the things we are afraid of, but the good stuff too.

The paradox here is that the very thing we do with the intention to protect ourselves -- putting our shields up -- is the very thing that leaves us vulnerable. Whereas by lowering our shields and being open, we are actually safer because we are sending a message that we intend no harm -- we are trustworthy.

I've also found that when I lower my shields and open my heart, I experience more meaning, more joy and more love, because I am more available to all of those.

So, dear friend, lower your shield, open your heart, and experience your birthright -- love.

Love,

Andrea

P.S. My new book is available -- Finding Your Authentic Voice, Seven Practices to Free the Real You and Experience Love, Happiness and Fulfillment. Just log on to http://www.FindingYourAuthenticVoice-TheBook.com

Serendipity

In our "make it happen" culture, how often do you sit back and allow things to come to you? How often do you consciously open to serendipity? When was the last time you waited on the universe to bring you a marvelous surprise?

I met with a gentleman the other day, asking for feedback on my speaking business, and I asked him, "How do I combine my Your Authentic Voice focus with my Conspiracy of Love blog?" His answer: "You don't. The Conspiracy of Love blog is its own thing." So, I followed up with, "I would like to speak on this as well. How do I create both of these?" His answer: "You've planted the seeds on the blog. Let it come to you."

Now, this is something I have a great deal of passion for. The thought of letting it come to me, instead of going out and "getting it" is somewhat foreign, even though I have experienced wonderful serendipitous moments, and in fact, consciously work a process to increase those moments. Yet, sitting back, "doing nothing," and letting it come to me? Kind of a weird feeling.

I think part of that comes from letting go of "control." Of course, that's an illusion anyway. There is no control. Not really. Instead, when we align ourselves with the flow of life, and create on that level, things actually come to us in the right time, in the right way. That means being in complete surrender to the present moment and recognizing that there is purpose in everything. It's just such a different way of approaching life, sometimes it still feels foreign and a bit scary. And, the other truth is, we're never really "doing nothing." We create on the level of thought all the time. So, if we're thinking, we're creating.

Almost every day, I meditate. I sit patiently, seeking to connect to the "all that is." Some days I experience what it is to be "in this world, but not of it." Other days, I'm just hanging out. I do know, though, that it is in that place of absolute stillness where we create our heart's desire. That when we create from that level, those serendipitous moments occur and occur and occur.

Life doesn't have to be hard. Not at all. It has its challenges, but suffering, that's optional. I haven't mastered that yet. I still suffer sometimes. Sometimes it's a low-level discontent, others a deep sadness. However, I truly want to be at peace and experience the love and joy that are inherent to our existence. I see it as the way out of the turmoil of our world, and the way to experience true love in our lives, and share that with others. Albert Einstein said that his goal was to "know the mind of God." Ditto.

Love,

Andrea