Positive feedback – sometimes we get it, sometimes we don’t. But does that mean when we hit a dry spell for compliments and encouragement that we should ease back on following through with our dreams?

Hek no!

If we are committed to a path of growth and living out our higher purpose, gearing down when positive feedback from the outside world wanes is falling to temptation. Temptation, after all, is one of those elements of the human experience that plays an ongoing role – pounding relentlessly on our front door, hoping to be invited in for tea. So! Do we distract ourselves from our dream and put the kettle on?

Dreams – like seeds that require water, sunlight and soil to germinate - require daily doses of patience and love infused with the joy of their existence long before we see them sprout. There is a lot going on behind the appearances when we put a dream call out to the Universe. Angels kick into high gear and get busy on our behalf: circumstances must be lined up, experiences must be offered and experienced, key facilitators at various stages of the manifestation process must also be arranged.

All things considered, it is little wonder that dreams can take some time to unfold and it is further little wonder that you might find the chorus of positivity waning around you as you wait for the first sprout to appear above the soil, but I ask you –

WHOSE DREAM IS IT ANYWAY?!!!

Take heart and know for certain that in any given moment YOU ARE YOUR OWN BEST CHEERLEADER….so let your heart sing the praises of your dreams even if you find you must at times solo. But truthfully, you are never alone in the dream calling process for when the grand hoopla of your entourage subsides, that is when you notice the most heavenly Hallelujah that has accompanied you all along:

It's the Angelic chorus heralding the magnificence of YOU as you step along the path to the glorious manifestation of your dreams.

Infinite Blessings,

©2011

Who are we as a collective human race? Who do we aspire to be?

The greatest teachers teach by example. Amid the chaos of our world today as the earth makes its dramatic and near inconceivable transitions there is a very prominent teacher – a beacon of Light in the sea. And though she herself is apparent victim to the greatest geographical disaster in our recorded history, she shines her humble Light.

This humble teacher is the nation of Japan.

Where the newscasters searched for panic, rampant fear, for examples of hoarding and/or outright chaos among a people so suddenly struck by devastation, they have found none. Instead, the Japanese are a nation of people rising to the occasion of unspeakable tragedy with a sense of calm and highest regard for one’s brother and sister.

A man enters a gymnasium full of exhausted, hungry and sick survivors carrying one small box of food. A quiet, orderly line forms. The Japanese do not see their neighbor in the line as an obstacle to personal survival but as a companion in spirit sharing a common road. The donor hands out modest palm sized packages of cooked rice– one portion is to be shared between two people. Not a complaint is uttered – only expressions of gratitude.

One Montessori teacher who has been living in Japan for 5 years tells me that though it was her destiny to endure such a disaster, she was so grateful to be among the Japanese for even though there is great concern, there is calm. Yes, there are long line ups for food and water but no one is pushing or grabbing for more than they need. Yes, there are blackouts, but she feels safe – for there is no looting in the streets.

The Japanese, even in the midst of tragedy, remain true to their natural state of being: Like a river faced with an enormous boulder in its path that flows onward regardless. The river does not abandon its true form even though the direction of its course may be altered dramatically leading it into the vast unknown. River, embraces the obstacle, rounds the bend and flows onward.

In these transitional times, there is a calling to the human spirit to stay the path of Light and affirm what it is we aspire to be – to raise our collective consciousness to new heights even in the midst of the appearances unfolding. Perhaps it is the greatest test of our spiritual mastery we have ever endured.

We need look no further than the Japanese for our inspiration.

Infinite Blessings
and a heart full of
Love, Praise and Gratitude
for the Beacon of Light in the Sea,

Shelley Richardson

© 2011

Life is a cocktail of joys and sorrows. That is the nature of our duality as we live out our human experience but it is the vantage point from which we choose to view a circumstance that preserves the levity in our hearts. The sorrow digs caverns in the soul, and if we are wise and committed to a path of growth, we will one day relinquish the sorrow for an equal measure of Love. We can then look 'back' and bless the situation that allowed us to know Love to a greater degree. We come to embrace the sorrows as we embrace the joys and find ourselves riding the wave of positivity through the cocktail.

Infinite Blessings,

Shelley Richardson

Copyright 2011

I heard it said the other day that LOVE eventually leads to loss. This is indeed, one possible perspective but perhaps it grossly underestimates the capacity of this purest of emotions. If I may offer an alternative perspective:

LOVE never leaves you in a state of loss. How could it possibly for LOVE truly is the most powerful thing in all the Cosmos. It has no boundaries and permeates all passages of time and space. When we are faced with the illusion of separation, it is the stopping up of the flow of LOVE from our own hearts to the one who is 'missed' that causes the pain. If we raise our sights to an Eagle's vantage point, we see there is truly no such thing as endings or beginnings, and we are ever ONE.

So let your LOVE flow!
Even in times of apparent separation, it will seek and find its intended destination.
LOVE is just that miraculous!

Infinite Blessings,

Shelley Richardson

Copyright 2011

It’s a sea of red and white streaming across store shelves these days. It must be Valentine’s Day soon? Ah yes, St. Valentine! Blessings to him for marrying all those young couples against the Emperor’s wishes way back in the day…or so one legendary tale has it. In any case, we can thank Saint Valentine and his good intentions for inspiring the present day tradition of celebrating loving relationship.

What better occasion than this but to ponder one of the greatest mysteries in all the Cosmos?

The Art of Self Love

Self Love: It is a fine art indeed and one that escapes many of us and for many others in varying degrees. We may be able to get as far as, “Well, I am a good …. but….” and before we barely begin the ‘me’ celebration, the party is over!

If we consider for a moment that we are the starring figure in each of our own lives, we realize that our ability to Self Love has an enormous impact on every aspect of our interaction on the planet. It influences how we relate on a personal, local, global and even a Cosmic scale. If we are not in love with the wonder that is us, the energy around us knows it and responds accordingly.

In Light of this truth, we can see that taking time to genuinely acknowledge the great aspects of ourselves is well worth the effort for essentially, the degree to which we open the door to loving ourselves determines the degree to which we are able to give and receive LOVE. If the door to our heart only opens a smidgen because we do not know the entirety of our magnificence, only a smidgen of LOVE can flow in from the world/Cosmos around us and only a smidgen of LOVE can flow out.

In other words, our ability to Self Love determines the flow of love in ALL our relationships. Ponder the impact that practicing the Art of Self Love can have in your life! Imagine the possibilities! We are not speaking here of building the ego but the acknowledgment of the blessings you bring to the world no matter how seemingly great or small. Ask yourself a few questions: What aspects of Self uplift those around you? How do you effect waves of positive change in your home, workplace or community? What do you love about YOU??????

If you are having a little difficulty getting started might I make a suggestion?

Begin by acknowledging your own spark of Divinity!!!

We’ve all got it! Awaken to this remembrance of your Divine heritage and you are well on your pathway to Self Love. If we are in acceptance of ourselves as Divine beings having a human experience, the heaps of self critical judgments that we try to stack up against ourselves begin to cower in our Light.

In our state of forgetfulness, we become our own worst critics. Yet in our remembrance, we become Love personified for then the doors to our hearts spring wide open…..perhaps even entirely off their hinges! When you are able to count the blessings that make you YOU, the Universe hears your primary pulse of LOVE, amplifies it many fold and sends it right back at YOU! Undoubtedly, your relationship to Self is the most important because it is the fulcrum around which all your other relationships pivot. Shift yourself into a gear of Self Love and you are shifting into a vibration that attracts more loving relationship to you.

Might I suggest this Valentine’s Day, we begin a new tradition?

Write a Love Letter to Self and honor the glory of YOU!

Put your whole heart and soul into it! Don’t hold back! No need to be shy! Tell it like it really is straight up for it’s for your eyes only. And if it makes your heart sing, you might even treat yourself to a rose, a truffle, and/or a new CD to play in the background to mark this special occasion while you raise your pen to paper. Take a deep breath, embrace your divinity and open the door to your magnificence. Know this letter has the potential to make great waves of positive change for you are well on your way to mastering the wonderful, essential art of YOU loving YOU!

And when the calendar rolls ahead to the dawn of the next day, be sure to leave yourself a sticky note or two around and about to keep the spirit of Self Love flowing throughout the year:

NOTE TO SELF:

I LOVE ME!!!!!

Infinite Blessings and Love,

Shelley Richardson

Copyright 2011

Featured Article in Ki Awareness Magazine April/May 2011 http://www.kiawareness.com/

Human energetic prints! They are invisible to human eyes but we all leave a trail of them wherever we go! They are all across the planet: in the coffee shops, around the water coolers, on our pocket change, across our sidewalks, on our gas pumps, across the buttons on our ATM machines. Our energetic prints are everywhere! This is an infinite source of power that is freely accessible to everyone. Perhaps we should put it to some good use?

Imagine for a moment if we began to take another step toward living consciously by harnessing this power that trails from our fingertips and footsteps by infusing it with positivity? What if we awakened to the notion that the attitude behind the touch, behind the footstep can raise the vibration of our reality? Consider the powerful role of positive intention and the abundance of energy at our fingertips and we discover a new vehicle for dissipating the density in our world. That vast sea of ordinary energetic prints we leave behind us every day can potentially be supercharged with Love, Praise or Gratitude transforming them into the extraordinary: Lightprints!

Remember little Jeffery from Bill Keane’s comic “Family Circus”? Every once in a while, Keane would grace us with the simple visual of a day in the life of Jeffery: his trail over, under, around, in and across every object of fascination in his world? Rest assured, Jeffery left a lot of supercharged Lightprints on his travels as all happy children do when they are free to follow their innate curiosity. For us grown ups, leaving a trail of Lightprints becomes a little more challenging. Perhaps it is not so easy for us to be spontaneously happy as we rush through the drive-thru for our coffees on our way to the next appointment, do our laundry or squeeze in a bit of grocery shopping on the way home from work. Consequently, many of the energetic prints that trail behind us are weighted with constriction and further contribute to the density around us.

Lightprinting takes a bit of practice but it is quite uplifting once you get the hang of it! Meal preparation is a great place to practice infusing the human touch with positivity. Let your thoughts wander free from stress into realm of Love, Praise and Gratitude for those things that make your heart sing- for the great song playing on the radio, for yourself, for your dinner guests, for Mother nature in offering the beautiful ingredients for your meal, and if you are fortunate enough, for having the house to yourself for a few minutes so you can sing at will to that great song on the radio while you prepare that great culinary experience. If you find the heavy, stress laden thoughts creeping in, gently catch yourself and redirect your mind and heart back to the realm of positivity. Lighten up and supercharge your carrots as you peel them! Supercharge the water as you fill the pot for pasta! Supercharge the pasta! The cups, the plates, the knives and forks as you set the table! And when you get to it, supercharge the washing machine (…it’s a long way from a scrubbing board!), supercharge your lawn as you mow it, and your garden as you tend to it!

Lightprints will gradually work their mysterious magic through your surroundings and you will begin to feel the effects. The changes will be subtle but beautiful: Perhaps a little more laughter in the air, a little more conversation, a little more openness, a little more peace, a little more appreciation and perhaps even a more leisurely paced evening meal at the kitchen table because the company around it is a little more cherished.

Another wonderful aspect about Lightprinting is it doesn’t attract attention or require formal declaration so though you are consciously Lightprinting, others will not be aware. It’s a secret gift from your heart to the world around you and though your fellow human beings have no idea what you are up to, the universe is a witness. When you are Lightprinting, you are Lightworking and the universe will answer your contribution of Love, Praise and Gratitude with an abundance of it in return. It’s a phenomenal on the job perk.

It won’t be long before you realize there is a river of gratitude springing from your heart and like little Jeffery, Lightprints will flow spontaneously in a trail behind you wherever you go: As you search for the change in your pocket at the drive-thru, as you pick out your mangoes and zucchinis at the grocery store, as you reach for the gas pump even on the most blustery winter day, you will be leaving the gift of your Lightprint for the next unsuspecting soul to come along and be mysteriously uplifted!

Lightprinting:

A quiet, humble way of making the world a better place.

Happy Light trails to you!

Shelley Richardson

©2011

"Well, I can dream can't I?"

How often do we sketch a lovely dream for ourselves, toss it up to the heavens like a beautiful pearl only to shoot it down with thoughts such as these? We shatter it into a thousand pieces before it ever has a chance of materializing!

When we dare to dream, we often attach a negative thought form to buffer our disappointment just in case it does not come true:

"I just thought of an amazing possibility for my life and I really love the idea but it’s a long shot and I doubt it will ever happen."

With statements such as these, we are applying – though unintentionally- the formula:

Dream – Dream = “Same old! Same old!”

Eventually, we end up believing there is no use bothering to dream at all because experience has confirmed as sure as apples fall down and not up, dreams never do come true. We settle into our old shoes, not even entertaining the idea of trading them in for a new pair. We halt our imagination in its tracks anytime it tries to trek through our heart in search of passions and the dreaming process comes to a stand still.

So! Where is the tragedy in all of this? It is very simple yet monumental!

DREAMS ARE THE ELIXIR OF LIFE!!!

If we are not dreaming, we are missing a very essential key to happiness!

Dreams give us strength to anchor ourselves when the storms of human experience roll in. Dreams give us hope when chaos draws our attention away from the realm of infinite possibility. Dreams are the foundation of all creation. No thing has come into our reality that was not first conjured up in the human imagination. Dreams, fueled by the passions of our hearts, ignite the soul and push back density’s grip rendering it powerless!

If you are one who has abandoned the “Art of Dreaming” all together, perhaps I have inspired you to consider taking up the habit once again?

And I say ‘again’ because we were born dreamers – each and every one of us. In fact, it is such a natural tendency of the human species that I should not be surprised if one day geneticists will marvel at the revelation of ‘Dream Genes’ wandering around in their petri dishes! The only question remaining for us all then will be: “Do our Dream Genes lay dormant for lack of exercise or are they active and well?”

The good news is that Dream Genes can be reactivated even after long periods of dormancy simply by intention! Choose to create a new dream from scratch or resurrect an old, long forgotten one. Old dreams may be hard to find for they are often buried in our hearts several layers deep in heavy heaps of this or that. But it is worth the effort! And you may find yourself pleasantly surprised when it is at last unearthed and you hear yourself exclaiming: “My Gosh! Are you still there after all this time?” Carefully extract the dream and bring it to the surface of your desires. Invite your imagination to work away at it molding it into the most exquisite vision you can conjure and then toss that pearl up to the realm of possibility!

And if you find an old reflex thought “Well, I can dream can’t I?” springing to mind,
be sure to answer back:

“YES I CAN!!!”

Wishing You Infinite Blessings
and Beautiful Dreams,

Shelley Richardson

Copyright 2011

Dear Reader,

Last spring, I had the blessing of observing a young robin contemplating leaving his nest for the first time…and I have to say that I appreciated this gift from nature’s kingdom so much.

What a mirror it was to me for I saw myself perched on the edge of that nest right beside him as he considered leaving the security of the Known for the broad expanse of the Unknown. Hours, in fact, he paused standing on the brim as tall and stately as a young fledgling could: his two sturdy feet perfectly balancing his delicate frame still covered in youthful speckled feathers of gray and of white; his black eyes staring intently across the vast canyon of the driveway to the safe haven of the maple tree branches on the other side. But for the remnants of soft downy white feathers that danced in the soft breeze on his dotted breast, he did not flinch nor waver.

And through that pause, I can only imagine his deliberation as he weighed the present sensation of steady footing versus the relinquishing of it for no thing whatsoever but the near intangible substance of air to sustain him ….there too likely was the frank realization that for all of his forethought, he could not know what precisely lay ahead of this inevitable departure.

So what was it in the robin’s heart and mindset that at last triggered him to relinquish the security of his nest and embark upon his first flight? Was it instinct? Willpower? Curiosity?

The young robin fledgling is now lost to my perception in the maple branches overhanging the driveway or perhaps even further beyond in the neighbor’s oak or pine. I am left alone in my vision standing where for hours he stood alongside me on the very brim between the uncharted and the familiar. The absence of my feathered companion draws me into self-reflection and I can deny the call within me no longer.

I ask myself, what final trigger will compel me to take my flight?

I stand poised on the edge of my comfort zone and contemplate the leap that will at last allow me to fly trusting only in the arms of Source to sustain me.

Watch me fly!

May the spirit of the robin fledgling
inspire you to spread your wings
and live your dreams throughout 2011.

If he can do it, we can do it!

Infinite Blessings,

Shelley

Copyright 2010

"Celestial Blessings"

Blessed are we the human race when
......in poverty, we find potential
.....in destruction, we find community
....in illness, we find our shaman
......in guilt, we find self-love
.......in sorrow, we find service
and in simplicity,
we find omnipresent joy.

Blessed are we the human race.

By Shelley Richardson    
Copyright 2000