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Got it in a Flash!

Messages from Spirit can show up anywhere. Sometimes they show up in a flash. I have been a fan of the superhero called the Flash since I was a kid. For those of you who may not be familiar with the Flash, he has super speed and can run so fast that he is able to travel backward and forward in time. I have always been fascinated by the concept of time travel and multiple realities. I think having a subscription to The Flash comic book when I was a teenager prepared me well for some of the mind-bending concepts in A Course in Miracles.

I was curious to see how or if the writers would handle these concepts in The Flash TV series on the CW Network. **SPOILER ALERT** In the first two episodes of Season 3, I believe the writers did a remarkable job exploring them. Filled with overwhelming grief over events that happened in the finale of Season 2, the Flash travels back in time to prevent certain tragic events from occurring when he was a boy.  By doing so he can experience a different outcome in the present. The new life he creates is a happy one at first, until he discovers that, by changing the past, he has inadvertently created pain and suffering in the present lives of his close friends. Unable to enjoy his own happiness while his friends suffer, the Flash travels back in time once again to “make things right.” It appears that he has restored the sequence of events to how they were, until he returns to the present and realizes that things are still slightly different. Now he is faced with a dilemma. Should he tell his friends what he has done or just keep quiet?

When things seem to fall apart yet again in this new timeline, in desperation, the Flash races back in time once more to repair things. That’s when another time traveling speedster who has been observing the Flash intervenes. He knocks the Flash off course in order to deliver a profound piece of advice. (It was a message that I needed to be reminded of as well.) Speaking from experience, he tells the Flash that going back in time will never “fix” things. Using a coffee cup to demonstrate, he breaks a piece off and explains that the coffee cup will never be the same. Even if you glue the piece back in place, the crack will remain. Once something is done it’s done. The best thing you can do is accept what happened, accept the way things are, and move on from there. You can only go forward. This message reminded me of a definition of forgiveness that I heard on an episode of Oprah Winfrey’s Life Class years ago.

Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could be any different.
 
Recently I made a decision that had a far greater impact on people I care about than I had anticipated. Out of respect for those involved, I won’t go into the details, but it was something that I had been praying about for quite some time. When I received clear guidance, I took action. I was very mindful to come from a loving place when I spoke, but despite my efforts, that was not how it was received. Looking back, I see there were things I could have done differently. If I had super speed, I might be tempted to travel back in time to change things. I don’t have super speed, but I do have super trust. I trust in the divine perfection that everything happened how it was supposed to for the highest good of all, despite outward appearances. I could choose to keep looking backward, wishing things were different. Or I could choose to move forward and see this experience as an opportunity for self-reflection, learning, and growth. I think I’ll go with the second choice.

Is there something you wish you could travel back in time to change? Could you use some help moving forward? It would be my great honor to share with you some of the tools and techniques that have worked for me when I have felt stuck. I offer four, six, and eight week Life Coaching programs based on the strong principles of A Course in Miracles to help you through any challenging time. Family Constellations is another great way to let go of things from the past and move forward. I offer private sessions in person, by phone, or Skype, or you can join me for an upcoming group event. It is an experience like no other. Please look around my website for more information about all of these opportunities.
 
I know it can be challenging, but when we stop going back in time to that painful event or circumstance and begin to move forward again with an open heart, that’s when love can arrive in a flash.

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Don’t Worry. Be Happy.

Worry is giving energy to a negative outcome. I heard this definition many years ago, and it has stayed with me. Having studied the non-dualistic principles of A Course in Miracles for ten years, I don’t subscribe to the concept of positive and negative outcomes anymore, so I have adapted that definition a little bit to fit my current belief system. Worry is giving energy to an outcome that I do not desire. Now why would I do that? Worry can be a hard habit to break, but the benefits are well worth it.

Recently, many of us in the path of Hurricane Matthew were given an opportunity to give energy to an outcome that we desired or to one that we did not desire. When I first heard about the storm, all kinds of worrisome thoughts went through my head. As fate would have it, I had a business trip to Richmond, VA planned last week. Should I leave a day early in case the airports close? Where is the best place to leave my car? Should I cancel my trip? Am I flying right into the path of the storm? If so, will the storm prevent me from facilitating the three scheduled workshops and three days of private sessions? There was so much I could worry about!

When I remember this definition of worry, it puts me back in a place of choice. I decided I was not going to visualize my car and apartment being flooded, nor was I going to imagine that the entire week of events and appointments in Virginia would be cancelled. Instead, I would envision my home and vehicle being safe and all of the events and appointments happening as planned. That doesn’t mean I put my head in the sand and pretended that the storm could not impact my trip or my living space. I knew it was a possibility, so I made preparations and plans in case the storm did hit Fort Lauderdale. Longtime residents of areas susceptible to hurricanes know that hurricanes are very unpredictable. The meteorologists on the Weather Channel do their best to determine the path of the storm, but things can change quickly. Storms can slow down, speed up, change direction, strengthen, or weaken with little or no warning. Worrying about the storm days before it arrives simply robs me of my inner peace in the present moment.
 
When it became clear that the storm would not arrive in South Florida until well after my departure, I decided to take the trip and trust that Spirit would place me exactly where I needed to be. If the storm did hit Virginia, then perhaps that’s where I needed to be to provide support for my friends up there. If the storm hit Fort Lauderdale, then I would be safely out of town. Before leaving, I moved furniture, papers, and photographs away from the windows in my apartment. I also decided to drive myself to the airport so my car would be sheltered and elevated in the airport parking garage. I felt the cost of parking my car there for a week was worth the peace of mind it would give me knowing my car would be protected no matter what the storm decided to do.

I offer prayers of peace to all those that were greatly impacted by the storm, and prayers of gratitude that the storm passed Fort Lauderdale well off shore, so there was no damage here. It rained steadily all weekend in Virginia. On Sunday, gusty winds knocked over a tree which knocked out the power at the farm where I was staying. Luckily we do not need electricity to do Family Constellations, and workers cleared the tree from the road so attendees could get there. All of the events happened as scheduled and I was completely booked for every available appointment. Had I worried or given energy to another outcome, perhaps things would be different. Perhaps they would not. What was different was my sense of well being regardless of the outcome.
 
Trusting that all is well no matter what appears to be happening on the outside takes some practice.  If you would like some assistance with that, I offer Life Coaching based on the strong principles of A Course in Miracles. There are four, six, and eight week packages to choose from. Family Constellations is another great tool to help restore your sense of well being. It is an amazing process that uncovers the often surprising source of recurring patterns that cause us to worry. Please look around my website for more information about both and to see when the next group event is in your area.

Until next time, don’t worry. Be happy. And do your best to only give energy to the outcomes you desire!