No guilt – no judgment

Like many of you, I am feeling everything more deeply than ever before.My heart is with those affected by wars, disasters, inconsideration, and so much more. At the same time, my soul feels the glorious bliss of heaven, the humor, the joy, and the perspective of love offered daily in my work. I know I’ve said I live with a foot in two words for the last several decades, but these days I feel, like many of you, that I live in a spectrum of frequencies so vast and diverse I have to be careful where I place my attention. If I live in gratitude for what I have, I want to give more. If I feel bad that I am not suffering while others are, I am paralyzed and ineffectively lost in my own sadness.

I once read this quote by Audrey Hepburn:

“Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, it’s at the end of your arm. As you get older, remember you have another hand: The first is to help yourself, the second is to help others. Your “goodness” will also extend to your family, your friends. And to all that lives. That is a thing to be proud of. But, remember that you don’t have to be a saint, or martyr or even a good Samaritan to have this kind of goodness. Because goodness is something that is in all of us. You simply have to try and do small things everyday. You can’t imagine how big these things can be.”

When asked if she ever felt guilty for having so much while seeing so many children with nothing, she replied:

“Guilty? No. I have been given an enormous amount in my life. I have received so much. And so I feel it’s only right that I give back. That’s all. It’s gratitude, not guilt.”

This soul, who looked like she lived a charmed life, and did in many ways, gave a considerable amount of her love, time, and money from the fullness of her own cup. And while many of us are not contributing materially in this fashion, we too can give from the fullness of our love, joy, and peace.

Even in the rubble, souls with little to nothing left in the material sense are giving from the fullness of the love flowing through their hearts. They are comforting each other, helping each other, and feeding each other. They celebrate the small victories of hope – the recovery of a child and, as the angels said, even a warm ray of sunshine on a cold day. These things that seem small when living a “normal” life are suddenly priceless gems of existence.

I was talking with one of our dear readers in Turkey before I finished writing my portion of the newsletter. She said many who live in outlying areas are feeling what psychologists call “Survivor’s guilt” – a phenomenon that often occurs when you live while another dies, a feeling that you should have been killed with one you loved or cared about. I see it frequently in my work, for example, when a mother lives and her child leaves or when one person dies in an accident and the other lives. I see a similar phenomenon when people have abundance and see those in need or those who are healthy and have a loved one suffering.

It is easy to feel that we should not feel good when others feel bad, but we must allow ourselves to be where we are and trust that we are there for a reason. There are monks in the caves in India who sit in quiet samadhi – an indescribably blissful state of connection to the Divine. Devotees bring their food to them if and when needed in between their meditations. They don’t worry about bills or taxes or anything. Yet they serve humanity at a level beyond description. Vibrationally they bridge heaven and earth.

If you sit at home, feeling purposeless and uncertain about what is next, but resolve to get up, be kind, enjoy your day, and do a few prayers, your existence has value. You won’t see your contribution, but you will be a “vibrational lighthouse” emanating peace and kindness into the human pool, which many have forgotten.

So let us all collectively throw away the useless and counterproductive guilt that has been used for centuries to beat us down and make us feel unworthy of what we do have. By throwing away the guilt, those of us who are not in distress can be the light, peace, joy, play, and upliftment for those who are. Let us allow ourselves an abundance of whatever it is we want so we can feel our cup running over. Let us ask to be in that eternal flow of love so we can both give and receive it and thus play the part and the role we have decided to play here and now in the collective awakening.

I love you all. Of all things, I published a coloring book on the day of the earthquake. It was spirit guided, and I did it before I heard the news. I suspect that the world needed a bit more childlike innocence and light in the vibrational mix that day. I don’t know the intricacies of the higher plan, but I do know that while my guidance often sounds odd to my mind, if it feels right, I listen.

I was amazed at how many of you wrote to tell me you had been looking for something light-hearted to do. Your words touched my heart and humbled me. I am always in awe of God’s amazing grace. I had a moment, just a twinge, of wondering if I should just give up doing something that seemed so frivolous at a time when so many were suffering, but I know better. I ran into so many so-called “mistakes” and obstacles while creating this seemingly simple project, that I knew the timing of the release was clearly not my own.

The angels always recommend that we feel as good as we can, give as we are guided, and release as much love into our lives and the world as possible. We can only do that while accepting our place and role here in the present moment.

Here are a few tips to help you accept where you are right here and now…

1. Remind yourself that making a bad situation wrong prolongs the agony

If you don’t like where you’re at, looking at the wrongness of it just prolongs the agony. Looking at what you could have, would have, or should have done differently is just as unhelpful. Instead, the angels remind me often to say:

I am who I am.
Life is as it is.
What next?

By focusing on accepting the present and moving forward, we can move more gracefully out of a painful present than if we remain mired in the judgment of it. Judgment is understandable, human, and often correct, but tethers us to the thing or situation we judge. 

I am who I am. Life is what it is. What next?

2. Remind yourself that making a good situation wrong prevents you from gathering its gifts

Just as making a bad situation wrong is ineffective, making a good situation wrong can rob you and the world of its gifts. If you feel bad about having money and therefore give it all away, you’ll return to struggling and help no one. If you feel good about having money, enjoy it, grow it, and use it wisely, then you’ll have some to spare and share.

If you feel bad being happy while another suffers, you will start to suffer too and become ineffective in uplifting anyone else. If, however, you feel gratitude for your life,you’ll also feel compassion, care, and kindness. You’ll have love to spare and share. Even if you permit yourself to enjoy your days quietly in peace, that is love to spare and share. It ripples outward. It is needed.

Never feel guilty or bad for having the life of the things you’ve manifested. Bless them. Give thanks for them. Ask for the wisdom to enjoy and use your time, money, resources, and talents in a way that feeds your soul and soothes you, so you can feel full enough to share that love, vibrationally or materially.

3. “Now” is yesterday’s creation. Keep moving forward

If you like your life, keep giving thanks for all you love within it, and all the more you wish to experience. Pain causes growth, but it is not required. We can desire goodness without pain. We can give thanks for good and acknowledge any desires for expansion. You can keep creating good if you are experiencing it now.

If you are suffering, give thanks for anything you can find to bless – your life and breath, good people, the single flower blooming through the crack in the sidewalk, beautiful nature, whatever you can find. As you focus your vibration regardless of the topics you focus on, you draw more that matches that vibration.

Often, this is challenging. I have had to focus on health while feeling poorly or on abundance while wondering where the bills would come from. I’ve often had to focus on the goodness of humanity while seeing some really terrible behaviors. Nonetheless, finding examples of good to focus on drew more of it to me. It always does.

There are people in Ukraine who sang to comfort themselves in the basements while bombs went off overhead, and that focus on love drew the world’s love to them. There are people in the earthquake-torn areas who are focusing on the gift of being alive and who will draw more life than ever before into their reality. There are many of you I know who have lost children. Your heartfelt desire to move forward in partnership with them opens you to their signs and vibrations so you can eventually enjoy an even deeper relationship.

Focusing forward when the present is painful can be exceedingly difficult. It is important not to judge yourself when you cannot find the strength or will. It is movement enough to reach out for comfort or soothe yourself. Even that is focusing forward, and will help you gradually shift into a kinder reality.

Whether you are richly blessed or deeply suffering, at this moment, acceptance without judgment or guilt is essential to help us all move forward in love. Acceptance frees us, in the very next breath, to focus on the good we can find now and the better we desire later. In that space, we hear our guidance, give as guided, receive as needed, and ultimately feel the Divine Presence that eternally tries to provide us with a more profound and fulfilling experience of its love.