By Lucia Amsden
“As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.”
-Rumi
Sharing my thoughts about integrating the many lessons contained in the Hopeful Series has been a wonderful and meaningful way of continuing my personal journey of discovery and healing.
By deepening my commitment to be of service through a lighter and more loving heart, I feel a growing presence within me. Some may call this presence God, or a Higher Power. For me it is my essence connecting with Universal energies. I like to believe that I am strengthening my covenant I discussed earlier of the mutual relationship with the Universe. I feel it is a beautiful energetic chord and as I continue to quiet myself and listen, I am aware and feel a surrounding flow of energy and love coming into my system – a manifestation of my growing commitment to being of the change
Throughout these 14 messages are exercises to strengthen our ability to understand and reshape our thoughts. They have helped me be more aware when my runaway mind is in the driver’s seat, and realign mu thoughts to the present. I am less a naïve victim of the worries and negative thinking that can cause chronic stress and uptightness in my body. Before going to sleep, I am much more likely these days to remind myself to relax, take some deep breaths, and whisper, “all is well.”
One of the most important gifts for me in the meditations is the releasing process. Each one of us is a part of the darkness in the world, and when we chose to recognize, embrace, and appreciate our dark parts and then let them go, it enhances our presence in service. Several of the meditations guide us to release our grudges, regrets, and tired old stories by grounding them into the Earth, to be transformed into creative energy for the good of ourselves and all. This cleansing process is a large part of being the change.
When I am working with the releasing process, I especially appreciate those moments when I discover negativity lurking in the dark corners of myself. Even faults that seem surprisingly small create significant energy blocks. Bringing heavy energy out into the light to be released is much like cleaning out the jumble of a packed closet. The process is always on-going because unwanted stuff continues to accumulate inside us. Over time, though, as our commitment to clarify ourselves and be of service becomes more integrated into who we are, and the “dark stuff” that lodges inside lessens.
The Hopeful Healing Series has gently guided me toward a consciousness relationship with the Universe and the sacred covenant of light is there to live my life fully and find my inner wisdom. This mutual exchange exists for me as well as for all of us.
As I release negativity, I create new beginnings. A cylindrical prism sits on a table in my living room. I enjoy watching its shifting patterns of multicolored light—vibrant blending blue, lavender, red, green, and yellow change with the angle of my glance. There are also other rainbows in my living space, all reminders of the light I carry, the light that is in each of us.
There is a photo in the second Hopeful Healing message, “Standing in the Light,” of a dear white dog, Maddie, standing in a spot of bright light and looking timidly into the darkness beyond. When I look at it, I want to pick her up in my arms and comfort her. That’s what I am learning to do with myself—be my own loving friend and send my energy out to the world.