Healing Hearts and Providing Empowering Messages of Spiritual Insight and Love Through the Original Creative Works of Articles & Poetry
by Anna 'Ms.Poet' Hendricks
For my Inspirational Love Note today, I'm sending a super duper big birthday hug filled with an extra special vibration of love to all my fellow Pisces celebrating birthday's starting today, February 19th through March 20. By the way, this special birthday wish goes out to all Pisces includes myself who will be getting my own celebrating on tomorrow as I celebrate my birthday too.
I pray that this will be the absolute best birthday year you have had thus far. Also, I pray that on your special day you are surrounded by those who love you most, know you best and have your highest interest at heart and hand. Lastly, I pray that your life be blessed with more abundance of good than you can hold and your heart filled with more love and joy than you can stand.
In the meantime, spend the next thirty days living, laughing and loving like only a Pisces can. And sense Pisces is the zodiac known for being such a giving sign and always doing for others first and self last. I encourage and strongly advise you to begin the above mentioned process for the next thirty days by doing something loving for yourself.
Until next time...I surround you Love & Light! So remember to keep your heart open and your love light shining bright.
A One Love Production By Anna M. Hendricks Copyright 2014
There's a time to face the challenges of
adversities,
and a time to celebrate great
victory’s we have won.
There’s a time when countries go to
war,
and a time for all wars to cease.
There's a time to let go...a time to let God,
a time to know when to surrender and
release.
Yet, now is the time to start resolving
our differences in a way that brings
all
humanity peace.
Although life as we have known is changing,
God’s will for us to have a good life
is not yet done.
Just as nature regenerates itself after
winter when spring comes,
the season of new beginnings for us has
just begun.
We have gone through fire, water, snow storms and earthquakes
that caused the earth to tremble and
shake.
Even a major reconstruction of our
economic system,
as
a country we have had to face.
Yet, I am convinced that regardless of
what may appear,
now is the time and this is the year
to
see God bring us out into a comfortable place.
Now is the time for us to come
together,
with one vision…as one nation.
Divided no more by different race, creed
or
views of religion, Let's come together as one... For we are all
God’s creation.
Every good
and perfect gift comes
from our Father above…
And there’s no better time than now to give one another His greatest gift
of all ...the perfect gift of love.
I originally wrote this poem back in 2010 inspired by all the catastrophic events and major economic and societal changes that unfolded at the time causing much fear, anxiety, doubt and hopelessness here in the U.S and around the world.
I thought February being the month of Love was a good time to share this revised shorter version with you. However, as an added bonus, that I also perceive as divine confirmation, I just discovered, that two of my favorite music artist collaborated on a song that reinforces the message of my poem. Stevie Wonder has an album with the same title as my poem, A Time to Love, and the single features the lovely and talented India Arie.
After listening to this version with the lyrics also posted in the video I thought it was the perfect compliment to my poem and wanted to share it as part of my Inspirational Love Note for you today. That said, please enjoy the music video attached of this beautifully written and performed song by Stevie Wonder featuring India Arie, sharing the same title as my poem, A Time to Love.
Happy Birthday Aquarius! Here's my list of celebrity Aquarian's who celebrated birthday's with you this week. Also included in today's Inspirational Love Note, with all you water bearer's in mind, is my Love Light Spot Light artist for this week, famous Aquarius Bob Marley. So check out the list of celebrity Aquarius below. Then enjoy the short featured article and video featuring, Legendary Aquarius, Bob Marley with today's Inspirational Love Note message through song. February 2 Rapper - Gucci Mane ~ 34 February 3 Singer - Sean Kingston ~ 24 February 4 Civil Rights Activist - Rosa Parks ~ 1913 - 2005 Boxer - Oscar de la Hoya ~ 41 February 5 Legendary Major League Baseball Player - Hank Aaron ~ 80 Singer (Former member of the R&B group New Edition- Bobby Brown ~ 45 February 6 Legendary Reggae Singer - Bob Marley ~ 1945-1981 Jazz & Pop Singer and daughter of Legendary Singer Nat King Cole - Natalie Cole ~ 64 Actor - Robert Townsend ~ 57 February 7 Comedian - Chris Rock ~ 49 Actor - Ashton Kutcher ~ 36 Actress - Essence Atkins ~ 42 February 8
Actor - Pooch Hall ~ 37
February 9 Actor - Joe Pesci ~ 71 Actress - Camille Winbush ~ 24 ( known for her role as Vanessa on the Bernie Mac show) February 10 Legendary Singer - Roberta Flack ~ 77 February 11 Singer - Kelly Rowland ~ 33 Singer/Actress - Brandy ~ 35 Actress - Jennifer Aniston ~ 45 Singer - Sheryl Crow ~52 Actor - Burt Reynolds ~78 Politician - Sarah Palin ~50 February 12 U.S. President- Abraham Lincoln ~(1809-1865) Actor/Comedian/TV Show Host - Arsenio Hall February 13 TV Show Host - Jerry Springer ~70 February 14 TV Actress - Florence Henderson ~ 80 (most known for her role as Carol Brady on The Brady Bunch) And this weeks celebrity in the Love Light Spot Light,is the man who introduced Reggae music to the world, Loss Legend and celebrity Aquarius, Bob Marley. Here are a few factoids you may not have known about Bob Marley: He was born to interracial parents, his father was European - Jamaican of British heritage and his mother was African-Jamaican. His birth name is Nesta Robert Marley and his first but a Jamaican passport official mistakenly switched around his first and middle name to Robert Nesta Marley. He was born February 6, 1945 on his maternal grandfather's farm in Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaican. And later, after marrying his wife Rita Anderson in 1966, he moved to the United States for a short while in Wilmington, Delaware to be near his mother who had moved there earlier. While living in Wilmington, Delaware he worked for DuPont as a lab assistant and on the assembly line at Chrysler under the alias name, Donald Marley. He was raised a Catholic by his mom and converted to Rastafari in the 60's after moving away from his mother's influence in Wilmington, Delaware back to his homeland Jamaica. Bob Marley, his wife Rita and his manager Don Taylor suffered gunshot wounds from an assassination attempt on his life on December 3, 1976 and he still showed up to perform for the concert he was preparing for two days later called, Smile Jamaica, organized by the Prime Minister of Jamaica at the time, Michael Manley. At the end of 1976 Bob Marley left Jamaica and lived in England for 2 years in self-imposed exile. Although Marley was a devout Rastafari for several years, on November 4, 1980 shortly before his death, he was baptised into Christianity by Archbishop Abuna Yeseshaq of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Kingston Jamaica. He was awarded the Peace Medal of the Third World from the United Nations in 1978. In February 1981, just a few months before his death, he was awarded Jamaica's third highest honor, the Jamaican Order of Merit making his official name and title Nesta Robert Marley OM. Bob Marley died on May 11, 1981 in Miami after a long battle with a form of cancer called melanoma that had spread throughout his body including his lungs and brain which was the cause of his death. Long after his death he continued to receive accolades and awards for his legendary contributions to music which included a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in February 2001.
In 2004 he was ranked number 11 on Rolling Stones list of 100 Greatest Artist of All Time. Bob Marley...a loss legend who's memory will always be honored and his music will always be anInspirational Love Note to the hearts and minds of generations still yet to come. In closing, enjoy this video to one of his most popular songs to date,One Love, that was named song of the millennium by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) and a perfect song with a perfect message to also honor both Black History Month and Valentines Day today.
Happy Birthday Capricorns! Here's the part two of my list of celebrity Capricorns between January 11th and the end of Capricorn on January 19th. Also included in today's Inspirational Love Note, with all you Capricorn's in mind, is my Love Light Spot Light Friday song artist for this week, honoring the memory of fellow Capricorn singer, Aaliyah. So check out the list of celebrity Caps below. Then enjoy the short featured article and video on Aaliyah with today's Inspirational Love Note message through song in honor of Aaliyah's memory and what would have been her 35 birthday's celebration.
Celebrity List of Capricorns:
January 11th
Singer - Mary J Blige, 43
Actress - Kim Cole, 52
Actor – Rockmond Dunbar, 41
Country Singer – Naomi Judd, 68
January 12th
Talk Show Host - Howard Stern, 60
Actress, Kirstie Alley, 63
Basketball Player, Dominique Wilkins, 54
January 13th
Actor - Patrick Dempsey, 48
Screenwriter – Shonda Rhimes, 44
(Creator of Grey’s Anatomy, The Practice, and Scandal)
January 14th
Rapper - LL Cool J, 46
Rapper - Slick Rick, 49
January 15th
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
Actress - Regina King, 43
Actor/Director - Mario Van Peeples, 57
January 16th
Singer - Sade, 55
Actress/Choreographer – Debbie Allen, 64
Boxer - Roy Jones Jr. 45
Actor - Richard T. Jones, 42
Today: January 17,
2014
Actress - Betty White, 92
Actor - Jim Carey, 52
NBA Basketball Player - Dwayne Wade, 32
Comedian/Actor/Radio & TV Show Host -Steve Harvey, 57
First Lady, Michelle Obama, 50
Rapper Lil Wayne, 43
Legendary Boxing Champion: Muhammad Ali, 72
Singer: Ray J, 33
Reggae Artist/Singer: Shabba Ranks, 48
Actor: James Earl Jones, 83
Talk Show Host: Maury Povich, 75
Later this week: Jan 19th (Last day of Capricorn)
Actor/Comedian - Shawn Wayans, 42
Actress – Denise Boutte, 31
(Tyler Perry’s, Why Did I Get Married and TV Show Meet the
Browns as Tosha)
Country Singer/Actress – Dolly Parton, 67
And my Celebrity Capricorn pick in today's Love Light Spot Light, alsorepresenting the Friday song for this week,is R&B Singer, Aaliyah. Born Aaliyah Dana Houghton (January 16, 1979- August 25, 2001), in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Detroit, Michigan, she was known best to the world through her singing career by just her first name, Aaliyah, which means, High, Sublime. And boy did she live up to the meaning of her name as such a beautiful, extremely talented young lady, with an equally beautiful and extraordinary singing voice. But Aaliyah was more than just a pretty face with angelic vocal ability. As proven evident in her music video's, she was also a gifted dancer with fluid-like movement of each choreographed dance step. She was also a model and up and coming actress just before her tragic death at the tender age of 22 years old, on August 25, 2001, when the plane, she and 11 other's were on and also killed, crashed in the Bahamas while working on her last music video, Rock the Boat. Although she left this life at an unfortunate young age, she also began her singing career at an even younger age. Instead of playing jump rope or hopscotch outside all day, like most 10 year old little girls, Aaliyah made her first appearance singing on the television talent show Star Search. She also performed with legendary superstar Gladys Knight in concert as age 11 as well. She went on to sign her first recording contract at age 12 with Jive Records and Blackbird Records, owned by her uncle Barry Hankerson. Her uncle Barry Hankerson is also responsible for introducing her to R&B singing sensation, R. Kelly, who became her mentor and lead songwriter and producer on her debut album, Age Ain't Nothing But a Number, which was recorded in when she was 14 and sold three million copies in the U.S. and went double platinum. After the release of Age Ain't Nothing But a Number in 1994 there were rumors that she and R.Kelly were secretly married on August 31, 1994. This was a rumor that caused a great deal of controversy due to the age difference of the then 15 year old Aaliyah and 27 year old Kelly. It was later said that the marriage was annulled by Aaliyah's parents the following year in February 1995. However, since this featured article on Aaliyah is to honor her life and her talent that are both gone too soon, as well as this being a blog that promotes positive encouraging content about love not negative hearsay, I will end all commentary regarding that aspect of her personal life part with that being said. Now, let's shift the remaining focus of this article back to highlighting attributes about her life and career more worthy of discussion. Like the fact that she also recorded and released two more albums after her aforementioned debut album before her untimely death in 2001, which included, One in a Millionin 1996 and a self-titled album Aaliyah in 2001. And two additional albums released in the aftermath of her death entitled, I Care for Youin 2002 and Ultimate Aaliyah in 2005. She was also in the early stages of building her acting career with the leading lady role in the action drama film, Romeo Must Die opposite martial artist and actor Jet Li released in 2000. In closing, here are a few facts you may not have known about our fallen angel Aaliyah: 1) She was dating Damon Dash at the time of her death, who is a entrepreneur, co-founder and co-creator (with Hip Hop Artist Jay-Z) of Roc-A-Fella Records and Rocawear Clothing and former music executive.
2) She attended and graduated from Detroit School of Arts High School, one of Detroit's finest magnet schools, with a 4.0 grade point average. Which means she was beautiful, talented and exceptionally smart as well. 3) She could also sing in other languages including Latin. 4) She was the niece of R&B legendary singer Gladys Knight through a former marriage to Aaliyah's uncle, Barry Hankerson, who helped start her singing career. 5) She performed her song from the movie Anastasia when she was just 19 years old at the 1998 Oscar Awards, receiving a Oscar nomination as well the same year, making history as the youngest artist ever to perform at the Oscar Awards. And now...without further ado, please enjoy this video in celebration of her life, honor of her memory and what would have been her 35th birthday celebration. Also, representing all the Capricorns celebrating birthday's this week as well, for your listening pleasure, here's Aaliyah delivering my special tribute Inspirational Love Note message as this weeks Friday song, with I Miss You.
Happy Birthday Capricorns! Here's a list I compiled of famous people who have celebrated birthdays in the first half of Capricorn, between Dec. 22 and today, Jan. 10th.
Actor- Jim Carey, Born Jan. 17, 1962
Actor – Mekhi Phifer, Born Dec. 29, 1974
Actor – Morris Chestnut, Born Jan. 1, 1969
Rapper – Grandmaster Flash, Born Jan. 1, 1958
Actress – Sophie Okonedo, Born Jan. 1, 1968
(She played the role of May Boatwright oppositeQueen Latifahin the 2008 film, The Secret Life of Bees.)
Singer –Tank, Born Jan. 1, 1978
Tameka Foster, Born Jan. 1, 1971 - (Former wife of singer, Usher Raymond)
Actor – Cuba Gooding Jr. , Born Jan. 2, 1968
Actor – Taye Diggs, Born Jan. 2, 1971
Actor – Mel Gibson, Born Jan. 3, 1956
Actor – Bradley Cooper, Born Jan. 5, 1975
Dancing with the Stars Judge – Carrie Ann Inaba, Born Jan. 5, 1968
American dancer and choreographer who served as a judge on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.
Actor – Robert Duvall, Born Jan. 5, 1931
Director – John Singleton, Born Jan. 6, 1968
Actor – Nicholas Cage, Born Jan. 7, 1964
News Anchor/TV Show Host – Katie Couric, Born Jan. 7, 1957
Singer/Actor – Elvis Presley, Born Jan. 8, 1935
Singer – R. Kelly, Born Jan. 8, 1967
Duchess of Cambridge – Kate Middleton, born Jan. 9, 1982
Famous Caps born today Jan. 10th :
Singer – Rod Stewart, 1945
Boxer – George Foreman, 1949
Boxer – Felix Trinidad, 1973
And my Celebrity Capricorn pick this week, in the Love Light Spot Light also representing the Friday song for this week,is Singer/Actor-Tyrese. Born Tyrese Darnell Gibson, Dec. 30, 1978 in the Watts district of Los Angeles, where he also grew up with his two brothers raised by his mom as a single parent after his father left, he is better known in the entertainment industry today as simply, Tyrese.
Holding several titles under his belt as, Singer, Song Writer, Actor, Model, Film and Television Producer, MTV VJ, and Father to his daughter, Shayla Somer Gibson. He has also added Author to his long list of titles with his bestselling books, How To Get Out of Your Own Way, and Manology: The Secrets To Your Man's Mind Revealed, co-authored with his friend and mentor Rev. Run of, the higly acclaimed 80's rap group, Run DMC.
He began his career after being discovered on a bus which led to his appearance in the 1994 Coca-Cola television commercial advertisement, when the world was first blessed to hear his gifted voice, which I distinctly remember and still get chills down my back and butterfly's in my stomach as I reminisce about it while writing this. I can still see him singing that famous one liner yet popular catch phrase, "Always Coca-Cola." From there his professional singing career skyrocketed into the long list of successes he holds to date, which is not surprising since Capricorns are known as the zodiac sign of hard workers and high achievers.
Since then he has repeatedly made the Billboard charts with sizzling hot songs that appeal to his heavy following of female fans. With sexy, sultry, singles from his 1998 self-titled debut album, Tyrese, like,Lately and Sweet Lady, which earned him a Grammy award, he quickly became famous in the world of romance. His creative bodies of work as a singer/songwriter went on to include a string of lustful songs oozing with passion and seduction from his five albums released between 2001 to present, including his most recent hit single, Stay, from his 2011 cd, Open Invitation, that's still in heavy rotation on urban radio today. More recently, he joined creative forces with singers Ginuwine and Tank to form TGT , a collaborative cd released in 2013. His next solo project he's working on entitled, Black Rose, is expected to be released sometime this year 2014. But his success and fame doesn't stop there. This celebrity Capricorn is far more than just a soulful singing, 5ft 11in tall piece of chocolate eye candy. He's also a credible actor who's proven talent has justly earned him the respect he deserves in Hollywood. His most notable work as an actor include his movie debut role as Jody in, fellow Capricorn, John Singleton's 2001 movie, Baby Boy and his role as Roman Pierce in the street car racing action series, 2 Fast 2 Furious, as well as Fast and Furious 5, 6 and 7 among a long list of other hot Hollywood action films. Lastly, here's a couple of little factoids you may not have known about Mr. Tyrese Gibson. Did you know he started singing at the age of 14? He alsoattended Florida A&M University and is a member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. There's no doubt this abundantly talented Capricorn really lives up to the positive traits of being a high achieving, goal oriented, ambitious, family man born under the zodiac earth sign represented by the goat. For all these aforementioned reasons it's easy to see why he's the perfect celebrity to be my pick for this weeks Love Light Spot Light, not only to represent his zodiac sign but my Inspirational Love Note Friday song as well. With that said, here's the video to his single, also perfectly befitting for my Love Note topic today, Signs of Love Makin', from his 2002 cd, I Wanna Go There. Warning: This video is of mature content. Rated Grown & Sexy. So you might want to get your favorite glass of wine and a fan, like he has in the video, to cool you off afterward cause it is H....O...T...HOT! (LOL)
Until next time...I surround you in Love & Light! So always keep your heart open and your Love light shining bright.
A One Love Production By Anna M. Hendricks Copyright 2014 Reference: wikipedia.org, 2014, famousbirthdays.com, 2014, Ganeshaspeaks.com/capricorn/capricorn-traits.action, 2013
I am a firm believer that honesty really is the best policy in relationships. The problem with this is that the truth is often hard to hear and even more difficult to accept even from someone you know truly loves you and has your best interest at heart. For this reason, people say they welcome honesty in their relationships and do perfectly well giving it. Ironically, most people are shocked to discover they really can't handle when it's their turn to be on the receiving end of it. The other problem here is that you cannot give to or do for another what you have not yet learned to give to or do for yourself.
In other words, you cannot experience a healthy relationship dynamic with another if you do not have a healthy relationship with yourself. So if you notice that people seem to run amuck in your life, because you have not learned how to set healthy boundaries for yourself that you stick to no matter who it is attempting to cross them, then you do not have a healthy relationship with yourself. Likewise, you cannot be honest with another if you have not learned to be honest with yourself about unhealthy behavior patterns you may have. In fact, if you were to be completely honest with yourself as you read this article and you know the aforementioned person sounds a little or a lot like you. As hard as it may be to accept, find the courage to do a self-awareness audit by taking a good, honest look at the role you played in the outcome of your past relationship experiences. What you will most likely find is that you have certain, attitudes, beliefs and behavior patterns that have proven themselves, by the repeated undesirable outcome of your relationship history, to be unhealthy and not conducive to maintaining the kind of lasting and loving relationship you desire. Therefore, honesty, trust and respect are not only the three key elements that are important for having a healthy relationship with others but with yourself as well. A healthy relationship with yourself or others cannot survive without the three key elements of trust, honesty and respect. And you cannot have one while lacking the other because each one leads to the development of the other. Speaking personally from my own self-awareness, I know that I cannot grow to respect someone I cannot be honest with. Nor am I able to trust people who have not also earned my respect. The key word in that sentence is earned because while trust, honesty and respect are three key essential elements to a healthy relationship, they are also virtues that should be earned not just handed over on a silver platter. However, the catch 22 here is you cannot be honest with your genuine feelings with someone you cannot trust your heart with. Nor can you trust someone you do not respect or who does not make you feel respected by their repeated negative or unhealthy behavior patterns in your relationships. So what do you do in this case? I say, when your relationship comes to this point it's time to seriously consider if it's even worth your continued effort to try to maintain it. I say this because it's virtually impossible to maintain a healthy relationship that lacks the room or ability for open, honest, heartfelt communication even when the truth hurts and in most cases it does. And you don't have to be mean, purposely hurtful or demeaning in order to be honest with someone. In all communications with another you can and should use tact, compassion for the other persons feelings and a sense of decorum. When people choose to do the latter when expressing their feelings and say it's all in the name of, "I'm just being honesty", they're are lying. When people are nasty, critical, judgmental and demeaning they are not having honest communication from a heart of love with good intentions. They are instead having fear based conversation rooted in their own hurt. Their words are coming from their shattered ego and broken pride usually stemming from some unhealed wounded place within them they have not dealt with. Or your heartfelt honesty shared with them in the past or present that they were unable to handle, accept and digest as the hard-core truth about them or the situation you both are going through. So they wait until you're having a vulnerable moment and they dumb all their ugly, negative words on you disguised as " the truth." The real truth is they are making a sad, unloving attempt to make you hurt because they are hurting. And as the saying goes, hurt people...hurt other people. So when this happens don't buy into it or take it personally because it's absolutely not about you. Nor is it the kind of honest, open, heartfelt communication we're talking about here. That being said, I stand on my opening statement and belief that you cannot have, build or maintain a healthy relationship dynamic without the three key elements of honest, trust and respect. I believe this so strongly not only because these three virtues are the core principles for living my life. They are standards in which I hold myself to and expect from others in my relationships. In fact, these three virtues are so important to me that, as a new mom, I am already planting these seeds as core values to live by in my eighteen month old daughter.
Also, my personal life experiences and relationships have taught me, if nothing else, that you cannot have a genuine affinity with another if the relationship the two of you share does not afford or allow authenticity. More simply put, if your relationship does not allow you room to be "real" with each other on a deep genuine level then what you have is not authentic. If you're having to walk around on egg shells all the time because the minute you speak your truth from your heart it upsets the apple cart and all peace is suddenly lost. Then you have to question if you really have genuine energy of peace between you to begin with. If you have to candy coat your words all the time because the other person can't handle you being direct and honest even when you are kind, calm and loving in your approach they still become defensive and shut down all communication. Yes, all relationships be it family, friends or romantic partners, experience growth spurts where you have arguments. However, a relationship that has an authentic exchange of love energy is one where both parties understand that the real purpose of relationships is to help each individual grow and gain better understanding and awareness of self and love for their own personal development and the other person involved.
In an authentic relationship where there is also a genuine affinity and exchange of honesty, trust and respect, you both equally care about each others personal growth, happiness and overall well being. And a relationship cannot grow, thrive or reach its full potential, nor can the two people involved in it grow and reach their full potential, without these three key elements. Why not you may ask? Because at the end of the day, and at the heart of the matter, honesty through open, heartfelt communication builds trust..trust builds respect. The three of these elements together leads to the strengthening of the bond between the two of you which nurtures and prospers your relationship in genuine...authentic..deep and abiding...Love. Until next time...I surround you in love & light! So always keep your heart open and your LOVE light on. A One Love Production By Anna M. Hendricks Copyright 2013
"To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under the sun." ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1
With the end of November bringing with it Thanksgiving, which officially kicks off the Holiday Season, it's usually the time of year when we begin to reflect on all the things in our lives we are grateful for and appreciate most. However, it's also the perfect time to take inventory of our hearts and ask God to reveal to us who or what in our lives we need to forgive, release and let go. It is the perfect time to take notice of the relationships, beliefs, attitudes, habits, situations and/or material things in our lives that we've out grown.
So as you contemplate and prepare your menu for this weeks Thanksgiving feast, try adding a little gratitude and forgiveness to your list of perfect side dishes to compliment your turkey dinner this year. Give thanks for all that you have while also forgiving all that has left you feeling hurt and release that which you no longer need.
To resist the cycle of change, that is part of the natural process of life, is like trying to swim against the tide of an ocean rather than relax and go with the flow and direction of the current, which would require a lot less effort on your part. By continuing to hold on to things out of fear of moving forward, despite the clear evidence life is showing us that it's time to move on, we do more of a disservice than good to both ourselves and those involved in or affected by the situation.
When we look to nature as an example of how to actively practice non-resistance of the seasons of change in life for releasing and letting go, we see how the tree's do no fight with the change of season from summer to fall because they know that the onset of fall means it's time to shed their leaves. If you watch closely during this process it almost seems as if the trees open up and embrace the change, instead of resisting, as they effortlessly allow the leaves to change color from moist rich green to a dry blend of red, russet and yellow as they gently detach from the tree branches and gently float to the ground.
When this process is complete the once fully blossomed trees now appear to our human eyes to be left standing with bare and barren branches leaving the tree looking lifeless. However, from the perspective of the tree, I imagine it probably feels much happier, lighter and free with all those leaves finally gone and no longer weighing down its branches.
Such is the case with releasing the relationships, thoughts and things that represent the leaves weighing down the branches of our lives. Using the aforementioned example of the trees knowing when to shed their leaves with non-resistance, it would behoove us to also practice non-resistance when the time comes for us to let go of whatever is holding us back from freely moving forward to the next season of our lives as well. And there's no better time to take inventory of what needs to be released from our lives than now.
By expressing gratitude for what you have received and surrendering that which you no longer need back into the universe you are not only allowing that person, place, or thing to move on to its higher good, you are also making room for the next wave of blessings that's sure to come in your own life as well. So in the end, it benefits all involved to practice non-resistance to this natural process of release, letting go, growth and change.
Yet, until we reach a state of self-mastery consciousness, which most of us will probably not achieve in this lifetime, the art of non-resistance to such major shifts and changes in this human experience is much easier said than done. This is why I believe supports groups are so successful because there is power in working together as a group of people with the same end goal in mind who are also on one accord in consciousness about attaining that end goal.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, "To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under the sun." So let's use this time and season that's ripe for forgiveness and healing to purifying our hearts, cleanse our minds and sweep out the debris of negative thoughts, judgments, beliefs, perceptions, and resentments that have been cluttering up the floors, doors and closet spaces of our minds.
Let's bring this last week of the month to a close by being a support to one another for growth and healing. Together let's prepare for the high expectations of our glorious future in the coming new year, by willingly releasing what needs to be released, letting go of whomever we need to let go, and forgiving whoever or whatever we still need to forgive. With an open and non-resistant heart, attitude and mind, let's surrender it all to God. In fact, let's take this opportunity of this Thanksgiving Holiday to put our faith and trust back in the infallible hands of God where it rightfully belongs, rather than placing them in the imperfect hands of people, things or situations.
And to help us stay focused on this "end goal", to free ourselves of anything blocking us from having and keeping an open and receptive heart of love, all of my Inspirational Love Notes, shared with you through my poems, articles and quotes, for the rest of this week will be in alignment with the theme of renunciation and renewal. Let's heal our hearts and move forward in love together. After all...as children of the Most High God we are more than worth the effort.
Until next time...I surround you in Love & Light! So remember to keep your hearts open and your love lights on.
A One Love Production By Anna M. Hendricks Copyright 2013
