I am so saddened by the loss of a special man who touched my life in 2007 while I was dealing with cancer. Dr. David Simon, partner to Dr. Deepak Chopra, and co-founder of the Chopra Center, has passed away. He was the catalyst to opening my eyes to integrative medicine–taking the wisdom of the east and combining it with the innovation of the west–to heal oneself. David helped me see that an integrative and holistic approach to my cancer would lead to my healing. It was because of him that I got the appropriate help and tapped into the power within myself to be healed.

Thank you David for touching my life in such a profound way. I am eternally grateful to you. My heart goes out to David’s family and all the Chopra Center staff, and also to Deepak, for their loss. I will be eternally grateful for having met and been counseled by Dr. Simon. David, thank you for your life, your dedication to healing and for personally helping me.

Remembering David Simon from Chopra Center on Vimeo.

Here are a few beautiful lines from the poet David called “my beloved Hafiz”:

The Sun Never Says

Even
after
all this time
the sun never says to the earth,
“You owe me.”
Look
what happens
with a love like that -

It lights the whole world.

In early January, I attended the annual vision board workshop conducted by Deb Roffe of Summit Life Coaching. Once again, it was a powerful experience. New things were revealed–some expected and others that took me by complete surprise. I already knew my central word for 2012 is CONNECTION–it’s what I kept hearing as I journaled. During the guided meditation, however, I discovered its meaning went deeper and there were other messages too.

In the meditation Deb took us through prior to creating our boards, we visited our future self 20 years from now. My future self confirmed that my core word in 2012 is CONNECTION–she told me how important it is that I connect to my own heart, to family and friends, and to the people I interact with professionally. She conveyed that I must help others connect with their hearts. She told me to have courage and tap into my POWER as our family continues to deal with difficulties. She assured me all will work out. She also said to surround myself in LIGHT–to be LIGHT and to shine LIGHT. As she wrapped me in a shawl, which was a gift from her, I knew she was showing me how to care for myself. It was a beautiful visualization, and so is the board I created as a result of our encounter.

You too can create a vision board. Attending a workshop is a great way to do it because of the group process. However, you can make one by yourself with a few materials. You’ll need magazines, scissors, a glue stick, and a poster board. Before you begin, it’s a good idea to meditate or take quiet time to bring focus to this process–to hear your own inner voice. Here are the steps to follow based on what I learned from Deb’s workshop:

1. Set a goal, make an intention, and dream. Remember to DREAM BIG.

2. Collect images and words from magazines. Put the images in one pile and the words and phrases in another. Choose what touches you. Maybe you get chills or feel your heart skip a beat as you come across a certain word or phrase or feel “grabbed” by a specific image. Sometimes you’ll just know. When you have a strong reaction to something, be sure to include it. Even if it doesn’t make sense now, know that at some point its meaning will become crystal clear. That’s part of the fun! Let your intuition be your guide.

3. Create your collage. This is the most exciting part, yet it can be the most nerve-wracking. Gluing is committing to your dreams. It allows for the possibility of actually manifesting what you desire.

4. See the results. You’ll know when you’re done–when it’s time to stop gluing. Step back, look at your board and take it in. Allow it to touch you. Many images will make sense. However, as I said earlier, some may not yet be clear. In the days ahead, take time to gaze at your vision board and journal about your feelings and impressions. You may find that something on your board has more than one meaning or signifies something deeper. Other images and words may begin to come into focus.

The excitement of a vision board is that its meanings will continuously unfold. Even more exciting will be the manifestation of your dreams.

It’s a New Moon AND a New Year–the Chinese Year of the Dragon. Chinese symbolism representing this year as a dragon reminds us that this is an unsettling, exciting, and creative time, full of dynamic extremes and opportunities to overcome challenges. Today’s New Moon invites us to take time to consider and set our intentions. What a perfect day to give pause and reflection to what you want to manifest in your life!

The new moon (originally known as the dark moon) is that moment in between the ending of a moon cycle (the waning moon) and the beginning of a new moon cycle (the waxing moon). This dark moon is the period of time when we cannot see the moon in the night sky and is an optimal time for planning and seeding our intentions. All seedlings need a period of gestation. As they sit in the darkness of the soil, with proper light and water, those seeds will take root and break through the soil to reach for the sunlight. This is also true for our ideas and our desires. The mysterious dark side of the moon offers a nurturing environment where our intentions can establish roots before their miraculous manifestations begin to sprout and reach out to the stars.

To take full advantage of tonight’s new moon, if possible, set aside a few minutes to focus on your wishes and desires. This will help give you clarity and fill your heart with promise. There is no better time than during a new moon to set goals or plan ahead for the future. Any intentions you state or write down carry power, so please consider carefully the things you really want. Of course, the moon has its cycle and so do our individual wants and needs. We may discover that what we set as intentions during this new moon may not be relevant or appropriate by the next moon cycle. It’s therefore a good idea to take the opportunity to revisit our intentions each month and identify what we’ve manifested and what we need to let go.

Each new moon provides the perfect opportunity to take time and rededicate your intentions by renewing your list. To get the full impact of your intentions, it’s best to rewrite them on a fresh sheet of paper rather than cross out items and add new ones at the bottom of your original list. By lining through and adding to the existing list, you create a sense of clutter and haphazardness, even lack of focus. What might that do to the energy of that which you desire to create? As you write your new list each month, be sure to take time to consider where you are, who you are and where you want to go. Be sure to eliminate anything that no longer feeds your soul and add new things that make your heart sing.

May your month and year be blessed with abundance, peace and joy. And may the Year of the Dragon inspire you to intentional action!

This past year has been mixed with many blessings and challenges for me and my family. In an attempt to not dwell on the challenges, yet take the opportunity to learn from them, I asked each family member to write their list of two to four lessons learned in 2011. Here is my family’s list:

Dominic:
*Things could always be worse;
*Health is paramount;
*Above all else, love is most important.

Frankie, age 16:
*Guys are problematic (not exactly the word she really used);
*Girls are sometimes easier;
*Honesty is the only true virtue that people should cherish;
*Life often feels like it is against you–it’s up to you to turn it around for yourself.

Alix, age 16:
*True happiness comes from within and can be found no matter what the circumstances, if you’re willing to do the searching;
*Love above all else heals, even when you yourself cannot find the hurt;
*Instead of taking time to ponder further, take the time to trust and just let go.

Donna:
*Finding my voice and expressing it honestly are essential ingredients to living authentically;
*Having deep connections to family and friends is key to experiencing a beautiful (bellissima) life;
*Time for self-care needs to be a priority;
*Two of my best teachers are still my children.

Tonight at midnight, I (and whoever is awake with me) will light a candle. My intention is to feel gratitude and make peace with the past year while sending out a light into the world with our intentions for the new year. For me, those intentions include abundant joy, peace, love, gratitude, health and prosperity in 2012 along with my desire to be of service and bring more of these same attributes to others.

I’d love to have you join me in lighting a candle tonight. If you can, please light one that has never been lit before. Before you light it, think about this past year and what you are grateful for. Then, as you light your candle, think of what you intend for yourself and those closest to you in the year 2012. Know that you are joining with many others to send love and light into the world.

In the upcoming days, I also invite you to make your own list of lessons learned and set your intentions for what you want to perpetuate and give birth to in 2012. It is always up to us. We have free will to choose how we live, how we see things and what lessons we want to take away. What do you choose to take away from this year? What do you want to manifest in 2012?

Here’s an act I want to follow!! Thanks Michael Buble for reminding us to be kind and generous of spirit!

What acts of generosity can we each do today?

As happens each month, tonight at my home in Castle Rock will be another wonderful WWW event. Our speaker tonight, Karen Loucks Rinedollar, author of Working for Peanuts, is a delightful gift to lead us toward the holiday season.

On a wintery December Sunday morning more than a decade ago, Karen was divinely inspired by a Parade magazine article. There, in an article entitled, “Joy to the World,” written by Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist Eddie Adams were photos and words that drew Karen in like the steam from the warm tea she sat drinking. In the midst of the two-page article was three-year-old cancer patient Laura Williams who stood holding a blanket–her security blanket–which, made by her aunt, went with her to all her appointments and procedures and through her day-to-day life. It was as if Laura spoke directly to Karen that day. As Karen says in her book, “My mind churned. What about the children who did not have someone to make one of the ‘magic’ blankets for them?” Karen’s book is a must-read. Her story is an incredible one, telling how because of her experience that morning she went on to found Project Linus, a nonprofit organization with presence around the world.

Tonight Karen will share her story and inspire us. We all have the ability to make a difference in the world. We were each born with gifts, talents and passions inherent in our beings. Sometimes all we need is a light tap on the shoulder or a nudge from the Divine to remind us of our calling. I believe Karen was whispered to on that December morning and she heard the urging. Because of her vision, determination and unwavering belief, children who struggle with loss, illness or traumatic life experiences can have the gift of a Project Linus blanket lovingly made by one of the hundreds of PL blanketeers.

We don’t have to found an organization to make a difference in the world. There are many ways to be of service. All we need is the belief that we are here to serve in some way, the openness to listen within, and the willingness to be inspired to action. Maybe tonight is your night to be touched by Karen’s story. Whenever it is and whatever it will be, I wish you the patience to listen, belief to see your true value, and the courage to step into the light.

For months now, I’ve been attempting to write a book. “Attempting” is the operative word here. It shouldn’t be so difficult, and yet, it became too hard to put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard. Why, I pondered.

One of my friends suggested I get a recorder and record my thoughts, that maybe it needed to come out in a different way. I bought the recorder but then didn’t use it. What was going on? I tried and retried to work on the “playbook” I’ve envisioned, but nothing beyond the introduction was coming out. The book is about finding our magical inner voice.

After a meeting over coffee with another woman, someone I’d recently met professionally, we found our common interest around green, sustainable living. As we talked, I remembered the book I’d started in 2010 to support efforts we can do every day–not just on Earth Day. I decided that was the book I was supposed to write. I tried again. Tried and tried and tried. Again, I couldn’t get past the intro. And again, I asked the burning question, “What is really going on here?”

The friend who suggested the recorder said to me, “It’s time. It’s time for you to tell your story–the one you’re holding inside. You don’t need to dig–it’s right there percolating just below the surface. It’s ready to come out.” What? What story? I resisted. I pretended I didn’t know what she was talking about. But then the dreams came back. The ones I’ve had on and off for more than ten years. The ones that I couldn’t grasp–until now. I finally understood what they meant. I’ve been trying to run from me–from my own story. From the pain that I carry, even though I’ve done years of counseling. It’s time to stop running.

I’ve told pretty much all of “it” to therapists. A couple of friends know me pretty well too. But this process is different–the writing process. This is not about getting feedback, being questioned, or seeking agreement. This is simply for the sake of telling. Telling it to myself–telling it to the Divine.

Whether all or any of it will ultimately end up in a book remains to be seen. But what became apparent after months of struggle is that this is the book that must be written before any “how to” book can be. The greatest story any of us can ever tell is the story from our hearts. Broken hearts, bleeding hearts, beating hearts. These are the hearts we all live with each and every day. We’ve all had disappointments, maybe even tragedies, in our lives. We’ve all suffered loss–of a loved one, a job, or even an idea we thought we’d believe forever. And we’ve all had opportunities to be reborn, and like the phoenix, to rise from the ashes of our lives.

Two weeks ago I surrendered. I agreed to what I am being called to do. Write down and record my story. The story of my life and pieces of the lives that came before me. I’ve picked up that recorder and taken off on long walks amongst evergreens and deciduous trees filled with leaves of changing colors. Like those trees, I too am changing. I am ready to expose my many-colored self. To release that which must die and allow the transition of this season that invites us inward to take me to new depths of understanding.

One of these days soon, I hope to have a book to share with you. For now, I’ll just write and let it all come out with no expectation of where I’ll go next.

Today is the Fall Equinox, one of two days during the year when light and darkness are equal. Today represents a day of balance and marks the beginning of moving into the darker days of autumn and winter–the time of year when nature invites us to join her by going inward.

For many, today is a day to give thanks for all that we have in our lives–for the rich bounty of the summer we’ve just enjoyed, for the warmth of the sun that nourished us and all of life throughout the spring and summer months, and for the wonderful fruits and vegetables coming into the marketplace now that will sustain us through the cold months ahead.

As we anticipate the fall season and the coming of winter, today is a perfect time to express our gratitude for what Mother Nature provides. We can do this with a wonderful exercise I’ve learned and practiced, along with one of my favorite fruits–an apple.

Take a freshly washed apple and hold it. Look at it and really be present to its beauty–its rich color of red, yellow, or green; its shape, its fragrance, its sheen, and the promise of sweet juiciness when you bite into it. Don’t bite into just yet, however. Instead, reflect on the journey the apple seed has gone through, from seed through soil, to tree, and finally fruit. Think about how this apple has come to you from a store, a farmers’ market, or your own backyard. Then, contemplate the origin of this fruit from the very first apple growers, being thankful to our ancestors who sustained this gift for us so that we might enjoy it today.

Take a bite of your apple, savoring its sweet juices and crunchiness. Again, be present to its flavor and the nutritional goodness it provides to your body. On your next bite, contemplate another blessing in your life–something else that you are grateful for. Maybe its your family, your work, your friends, where you live–whatever comes to mind, feel gratitude for it. Speak what you are grateful for out loud and then take another bite. Savor this blessing in your life as you chew the bite of your apple. Continue to bring to mind other blessings, taking bites of your apple and savoring each blessing until the entire apple is consumed.

Allow your apple to remind you that we always have enough in our lives to nourish and sustain us, even in the darkness and cold of winter. We have enough, and we are enough. Let today remind us that balance is possible in our lives and that life’s gifts are always with us to sustain, nourish, and bless us.

Happy Fall!

Today is the U.N. International Day of Peace, which was established in 1981. At noon today, in every time zone, people will pause for a minute of silence to commemorate peace and the vision and hope for world peace. Peace Day serves as an opportunity to think about the meanings of peace for our world and in our own lives as well as how we can carry out the message of peace each and every day.

For our own well-being, for our families and communities, and for our world, living with an intention of peace promotes health and the ability to thrive. In establishing this day of peace, the United Nations intended that the world set aside a time for all people to demonstrate intentional acts of peacemaking. This day is not simply intended to be about a worldwide ceasefire; it is also an opportunity for every one of us to look into our hearts and our lives to see how we can live all year from a place of peaceful intention.

Peace starts within us. It begins with our connection to the Divine, our ability to love and care for ourselves, and extends to how we love our fellow human beings, nature, and all life. Peace comes when we love all others–especially those we perceive as our enemy or different than we are.

One important aspect of living from an intention of peace is to love and show loving kindness to ourselves. Far too many of us find this difficult to do. Many consider self-love as self-absorbed, believing that in order to be “good,” we must deny our own needs. Self-love means that we remember to take care of ourselves first. As in the emergency exercise we’re reminded of each time we fly in an airplane, we must first administer oxygen to ourselves before we help anyone else. It’s important that we take time each day to care for ourselves and that we adopt practices that allow us to lead healthy lives. This means we take time for exercise, rest, and proper nutrition. It means we have fun in our lives, and share in friendship and community. It means that we strive to live in harmony with everything around us, including people, nature, and our planet.

International Peace Day is a day to remind us that peace is a way of life. Peace requires vigilance, and one of the most important aspects of being vigilant is that we become disciplined in what we speak. This doesn’t mean that we need to censor everything that comes from our mouths. Rather, it means that before we speak, we are clear that our words are coming from a place of kindness, love, and peaceful intention. Sometimes that means we might need to hold our tongues and become silent in a discussion rather than allow our words to become a verbal assault towards another. A ceasefire does not only need to refer to a laying down of our arms for a brief time, but rather a commitment to consider what we are about to unleash from our mouths–to keep in check words that might be perceived as a verbal attack on another or words that we know will lead to an escalation and argument. Words can never be taken back–the more we can be in touch with the intention of our words, the less likelihood we’ll hurt another.

Peace Day is an opportunity to recommit ourselves to peace. It is a day to consider how we might better care for ourselves, serve humanity, and care for our planet. One of my most favorite ways to do that is to send a lovingkindness blessing into the world. I hope you’ll join me today in doing so:

May we be at peace, May our hearts remain open,
May we awaken to the light of our own true nature,
May we be healed, May we be a source of healing for all beings.

Namaste.

The beauty of our power as individuals is that we have the ability to set our intentions each and every day for how we want to show up and for what we want to manifest in our world. We can take time each day to connect with our heart intention and to the Divine, in whatever way we experience both. Whether we do that through prayer, journaling, meditation, time in nature, or any other daily practices, we have the opportunity to put forth into the world our intentions for love, compassion, healing, peace, and unity. We have the capacity to experience our interconnection with all that is seen and unseen through our hearts.

Last night, I received a beautiful email from the Chopra Center in honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It included a loving meditation created by Chopra Center’s co-founder, Dr. David Simon. In part, the email expressed,

“As we take time this weekend to consider what 9/11 has meant to us both individually and collectively, we invite you to also consider what you wish to see unfold in the next ten years. Chopra center co-founder, Dr. David Simon has created a beautiful intention-setting meditation that will help you connect with your heart and put your attention on what you’d like to see blossom in your life and on the planet. As he has written, ‘The greatest contribution we can make to the well-being of those in our lives is to have peace in our own hearts. Our state of being broadcasts expansion or contraction to every sentient creature within our midst. When our hearts are filled with gratitude and our minds are brimming with enthusiasm, everyone we encounter leaves our space feeling a little bit lighter than when they entered it.’”

If you are so moved, please take a moment today or in the days ahead to experience this beautiful healing meditation.

Intention of the Heart by David Simon from Chopra Center on Vimeo.

With love,
Donna