Elizabeth Lesser wrote a New York Times bestselling book, Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow (Random House). That book has sold more than 300,000 copies and has been translated into 20 languages. Lesser says, “When you feel yourself breaking down, may you break open instead. May every experience in life be a door that opens your heart, expands your understanding, and leads you to freedom.”
Her newest book, Cassandra Speaks: When Women are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes, reveals that humanity has outgrown its origin tales and hero myths, and empowers women to trust their instincts, find their voice, and tell new guiding stories.
It is not only women who have outgrown the original tales and hero myths. Men, women, children, and societies are capable of skillful relating — seeing each relationship as the fertile soil in which we come to rest in our spiritual maturity.
Resting in this “spiritual maturity” is our authentic self, and at our core it is always alive and well. Please take a moment to watch an amazing video of former prima ballerina, Marta C. González as she instinctively moves to the music, in spite of advanced Alzheimer’s disease.
At core, we love to love one another. At core, we love to sing. At core, we love to dance with life. Gary Zukav has a printable version of his Spiritual Partnership Guidelines on his website. (Copyright © 2009 The Seat of the Soul Institute) Guidelines worthy of being tattooed on our foreheads:
Focus on what I can learn about myself all the time, especially from my reactions (such as anger, fear, jealousy, resentment, and impatience), instead of judging or blaming others or myself.
Pay attention to my emotions by feeling the physical sensations in my energy centers (such as my chest, solar plexus, and throat areas).
Pay attention to my thoughts (such as judging, analyzing, comparing, daydreaming, planning my reply, etc., or thoughts of gratitude, appreciation, contentment, openness to Life, etc.).
Pay attention to my intention such as blaming, judging, needing to be right, seeking admiration, escaping into thoughts (intellectualizing), trying to convince, etc., or cooperating, sharing, creating harmony, and revering Life.
Indra’s Net symbolizes the universe as a web of connections and interdependencies among all its members, wherein every member is both a manifestation of the whole and inseparable from the whole. (Photo: Indra’s Net)
During this chaotic time, pay attention to the quality of your relationships. Like the jewels in Indra’s net, our relationships are a web of connection. Each strand is both strong and vulnerable. In The More We Find in Each Other, Mavis Fossum and Merle Fossum remind us that when we feel the pain of separation from each other, we need to reach back and reopen communication.
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