The Crush of Comparison

Comparisons will kill you. Faster than lightning can split a tree, comparing your life to someone else will crush your very Soul. Eat away at it until all that's left is a crusty, bitter wisp that was once YOU. Without any semblance of Hope. With nary a trace of Joy.

Comparisons will CRUSH YOU.

Social media has an enormous impact on the millions who seem not to know how to live any other way. Many people live their lives precariously through others' videos, photos, SnapChats, Tweets, etc., ad nauseum. It's as if they don't know how to actually LIVE.  Instead, they spend their waking lives with their heads bent over a SmartPhone, watching the world through that six inch screen, wishing it was their life.

It is as annoying as it is terrifying.

And with every luxury home and snazzy car and new wardrobe and snappy pair of shoes and endless stream of vacation pictures and large-spread gourmet meal, the people who are not so "blessed" cringe and wish and shrink ... and die a little more.

"Oh how I wish I could live in that house."

"Wouldn't it be wonderful to vacation like that?"

"I'll bet that car rides like a dream."

"I'd give my left arm for those boots."

"If only I had a body like that."

"I will never get to...."

Little by little, the dreams of the Have-Nots get dimmer and dimmer, until they are lost in the mists, never to be dreamt again.

CRUSHING.

I hope that as you read this, you will understand just how detrimental to your Soul these comparisons are. I hope you will forgo the envy and turn off your phone or laptop or tablet or iPad or whatever device you've got your face buried in...and DO SOMETHING that makes your Soul SING. Do something that makes you laugh or bring a smile to someone else's face of causes a critter to purr with love.

I hope you will remember that you are enough
and that you matter
and that nothing is impossible
and that whatever it is that makes your heart dance is the thing that counts the most
and that you are loved
and
your dreams are YOURS.

Leave everybody else out of it.

Comparisons will crush you.

JUST. STOP.

Learning to Live on Critter Time

Mostly, Humans live on what can be called Linear Time. It's a 24/7 existence. For many, a dull, two-dimensional existence that makes one wonder why any of us bother. Get up, go to work, come home, do all the other stuff you have to do, go to bed....and start the whole thing over again next morning.

Really? Is that all there is? Is that why we're here?

I don't think so !!!

In the past several months, it has come to my attention, or should I say, a more clarified awareness, of just how much we count the hours/days/weeks. It has also become more clear that Critters don't share the same concept of time that Humans do. I've known this all along, but my awareness of this difference has become much more acute lately.

Take, for example, the little piece I posted back in December about The Magick of the Season; or the one I wrote a few weeks earlier about That FACE. Or even the one about Crow. In each of those postings, I spoke of things I wanted so badly, and their coming to fruition. Now, some months later, even more dreams are floating up to meet me, becoming realities that were only recently things I'd been imagining. For me, those "several" months seemed a long time passing. But if I weren't so conditioned to live on Human Time, I might not feel that way at all. Were I to look at the events of the past several months the way a horse does, I might not care at all that it took X number of days for these things to rise up into my life. Because I'm pretty sure that horses don't care about how many days have passed. Mostly, I think, they care about food and shelter and kind Beings in their presence. They care about whether or not they're allowed to BE horses, without abuse or neglect. They care about the Humans that care about them....and not a whole lot more.

At least, that's what I think.

I also think that once we get out of the rut of Linear Time, and start living like we came here to live...with great attention to Joy and doing all those things that make us happy, by taking time to imagine living those moments we so wish to live, by trusting that everything is exactly as it should be and we are precisely where we're supposed to be, we begin to actually LIVE those joyful moments, doing those things we so want to do, regardless of self-imposed limitations or economic circumstance. For me, horses are magic. And when the time was "right", I was led to a particular place, to meet a particular group of people AND horses, so that all those moments I spent imagining became actual moments I am now living.

And that, my friend, is what living on Critter Time is all about.

P.S. I would like to say a HUGE thanks to Lynne Hayes at Horse Spirit Ranch and the lovely Teddie Ziegler of Phoenix Farms for helping make my dreams come to life. Also, to PJ and Cinco, for doing such a fabulous job at being horses and reminding me that partnership is about heart, not money. It was a SPLENDID day! Tomorrow is here. I am deeply grateful.

The photos in this post were found on Pinterest; I could not find the origin of either, so if you know to whom the credit goes, please notify me and I will gladly post their names here. To whomever you are, thank you for these fantastic photographs!

The Magick of the Season....

For the past decade or so I have practiced the Art of Allowing. I have made it my daily intention...to stop being so small-minded about my Life...and allow the Universe to offer me what I am asking for. I believe that the Universe listens, just as I believe that the Critters listen. I have not yet "mastered" this Art of Allowing, nor have I mastered manifestation. This does not mean I do not believe. It merely means that I am still learning, remembering, allowing things to work as they do.

So often, at this time of year, we lean heavily on our respective beliefs to gather up the Joy that is a part of this season. I've long wondered why it is that we, Humans, only carry that Joy with us for "the season" and not all the year 'round. I still don't know the answer, but I do know that the Magick is as real as the snow that falls, the trees that sway, the Critters that show us their way, whether we are paying attention or not.

This morning, as I lay in bed with my Critter, cozy with my coffee and the smell of pine in the house, I felt this wash of love so large it made me shiver. I looked around my room, taking in the beautiful "things" that make it my home, and suddenly realized just how much progress I've made in this Art of Allowing. It struck me so intensely that, for a moment, I stopped breathing.

I saw the photo of The Colt, a gift from my new friend Ken Archer, and realized that I had been saying (aloud), "what I really want for Christmas is a horse of my very own". I did not say "a living horse", I said "a horse of my very own". Looking at The Colt, I realized my gift had been delivered! Without knowing it, this man, who had captured my Colt on film, gave me back my dream. Believe me when I tell you, this is a huge thing for me. HUGE.

{Aside: try to remember, when you are asking for something, to be quite clear on that "something". Sometimes it really is in the details. Not how you're going to have whatever it is, but clarity on what it is. Just imagine what might have been had I said "a living horse"!!!}

Then, I remembered a few conversations I'd had with one of my closest friends about the angst I feel when I'm going to be around a certain woman I know. I love her, to be sure, but there is a feeling of discomfort so big that it can make my whole body ache. (not to mention my stomach!) We'd been having these discussions about my own evolution in this relationship and how I might be able to make it through the holidays more joyfully and less anxiously. I paid her words great heed. I did a LOT of "quiet work", making sure to focus on what I wanted to feel instead of how I didn't want to feel. In essence, I made "light work" of it, rather than heart-heavy work. When I thought about the past few days, and how much I've enjoyed them, I realized, again, that my requests had been granted.

All around me I could sense a Magick so strong that if literally made me tingle. I had this large swelling in my chest that can only be described as Love. I had a keen Knowing that I've been manifesting all along; I just hadn't realized the ways in which I was. It was, for lack of a better word, MIND-BLOWING! {okay. that's two words. but you get what I mean!} So, lying there with my Pup, sipping my coffee, all a-swell with Love and Gratitude, I took it all in and said a few prayers of Thanks. I made a promise to keep allowing and trusting that all things come when (and how!) they are meant to come. There is Magick in the air.

And it ain't just about The Season.

P.S. If you are a lover of Nature and/or Critters, you MUST go see Mr.Archer's work. Really. You must. You can purchase prints and have your own dreams remembered.

Teaser

{The following is an excerpt from my first book, "Whispers ~ The Often Subtle, Sometimes Rowdy Voice of Truth". As I am in the process of book #2, I thought it might be a great idea to share a little of book #1, just in case you'd like to read it before the next one comes out. If not, well, perhaps you'll enjoy this anyway. The purpose of this particular book was to inspire people to listen for the Whispers of their lives. The second book will follow suit, but be....well...different. Because isn't that the point? Anyway, I would dearly love your feedback on this post, if you are so inclined to take a minute. My thanks, in advance, for your thoughts. So then...without further ado...}

Whispers from a Dream ~~~

Dreams can be tricky business. I've been intrigued by them for a very long time...yet...still, they are very tricky business. I've read tons of books about dreams and what they mean and how to figure it all out...but I think, mostly, dreams are inside stuff. You won't find what you're looking for in a book. While they (books, that is) might give you some insight, all in all I think dreams are far too personal to 'figure out' from a book. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

I do happen to believe that you can get lots of answers from your dreams. I like to think of them as my very own direct line to the Cosmos. Some people use prayer. Others, meditation. I find dreams to be far more 'enlightening' than the rest. But that's me.

I bring this up now, as I near the end of this little book, because it seems to me it would be negligent not to. I mean, I've been going on and on about "Whispers"...and of all the many ways, and circumstances, and various life forms from which I've heard them. So how could I not include dreams? They have been among the most powerful of my Whispers, especially when I need answers to the really tough questions. 

{Aside ~ I'd like to mention here that I've heard lots of folks say that they either don't dream or they can't remember their dreams. To the former I say, "Oh yes you do." To the latter, "You can, if you practice." But I digress...}

I believe in magick and all things magickal. I believe that there are all kinds of spirits, both grand and small, that are right here, all around us, all the time. Those little glimpses of 'something' you catch out of the corner of your eye but then disappear when you try to look right at them? That's what I'm talking about. It's as if they're saying, "YO! Listen up! You can't use your human eyes to see any of this. You gotta use your other eyes. The ones that see beyond the veil. We'll keep hangin' around til you get it. No worries. We're not gonna bail on you."

The fact that I have such conversations may, again, lead you to believe that I've lost my pretty little mind. And, again, I assure you, I have not. It's just what I believe. And everyone is entitled to their beliefs, don't you think?

But my point is, whatever you happen to believe is exactly what will fuel you through your life. And those beliefs can be as empowering as they can (be) limiting. Without exception, it's the limiting beliefs that mess with us most. Those things that we picked up somewhere along the way, that weren't really ours to begin with, but after years of having them pounded into our brain, they just got stuck there. Then, we wander around for year on end, wondering why we're so miserable. Beliefs like that do not serve us. They hold us back from the life we intended before we got here.

{End of excerpt...for now. I might finish the rest of the chapter at a later date. I'm going to wait to see if anyone actually has a thought to share....so, we shall see!}

P.S. One more thing: if you DO wish to have your own copy of my darling little book, you can find it HERE: "Whispers" by Camille Olivia Strate

This thing that drives you....

Never apologize for your passions. NEVER. If you get a giant kick out of sitting on a rooftop tossing stale bread to pigeons, then go sit on the rooftop and toss away. If you get a kick out of scraping gum off the undersides of booths in diners, then scrape away. If you lose yourself every time you find litter on the street and get to pick it up and throw it in a trash can, well I say clean on! It doesn't really matter what floats your boat; just so long as it's floating. But for Pete's sake....don't apologize for it!

I am a firm believer in synchronicity; so perhaps you were tossing this out into the Universe yesterday or when you woke up this morning or when you told your boyfriend that you wouldn't be going to dinner at his folks' place because you were going to watch the game with your girlfriends instead. Or maybe this just came to you out of the blue (no such thing, if ya ask me) but whatever the case, I am compelled to offer it up. Just for you. And for me too. Because the truth is, I offer up stuff that matters to me as well. Kind of my own little house cleaning. When I write, it clarifies. It is always with the intention of helping you too. Always. But I don't just write stuff for no good reason.

There is always a reason.

Today, when I woke up, I realized that there were a host of people who'd made a host of excuses to other people while I was within ear shot. Each time I heard these Apologizers, it was all I could do not to scream out, DON'T! DON'T DO IT! I didn't, of course. But I sure did want to.

Why is this such a big deal? Why would I care one way or the other if someone made lame-assed excuses to not do what someone else wanted them to do and ignore what they wanted to do? Who am I to say that these people shouldn't make excuses or apologize for their passions?

Well. I'm glad you asked.

It matters because there are just not enough people on this planet who are actually living their bliss. You don't need me to tell you that. Just look around. Everywhere you will see people with scowls on their faces. They're crabby and obnoxious and plain ugly to everyone around them. They're freakin' miserable. Why? Because they're doing what everyone else says they should be doing and ignoring what makes their hearts sing. They're going to dead end jobs, eking out a living, all in the name of social pressure. They forgot all about that thing, whatever it was, that they just loved loved loved doing when they were kids. Those things that made hours turn into seconds. Those things that made them happy all the way down to the bone. Those things that they were born to do. They gave it all up because somebody who really mattered told them that it would never work. That they would never, ever be able to paint or sing or dance or act or teach or fly or ride the rodeo or rescue horses or have ten kids and do it successfully. They heard those naysayers for so long that they buried that dream and fell right into the depths of a madness that society calls "being a responsible adult".

It's an outright outrage.

So the next time you hear yourself apologizing for something that absolutely brings you to heaven, just STOP. You now have permission to do what you want, for as long as you want, without guilt, regret, or remorse.

If they ask you why, just tell 'em I said so.

The Magnificent Being You Are

So you're struggling with that thing you love to do. You procrastinate. You find ways to sabotage yourself. You make every kind of excuse to NOT do it. This is a form of self-punishment and, at some level, self-loathing. You might not see it that way. But if you were to take a moment or two, you might surprise yourself. See, the whole Creative Being thing is a bit more tricky than your brain can handle. That is to say, your brain isn't the Creative Being. You are.

The thing about tapping into your Creator is that there's a whole ton of baggage you brought with you over the course of this lifetime. Stuff your parents told you. Stuff your teachers told you. Stuff you heard on the playground. Some stuff you just made up in your own head. All in all, it can make for some very boisterous and horribly unruly conversation, all of which will leave you exhausted, scared, or (if you're lucky) pissed off to the Nth degree. This then leads to ... you guessed it...NOT doing what you really love to do.

Know what I'm talking about?

Here's a little sample:

Let's say you've always wanted to be a dancer. For as long as you can remember you've been jammin' to the tunes and entertaining everybody around you. Maybe you went to school for it. Maybe not. Maybe you decided to forgo college and hit New York City instead. Gonna make it as a Rockette. Or dance with the Alvin Ailey Company or Madonna (well, for that you'd have to go to L.A. but who cares). Maybe you didn't do any of those things because you heard your father saying, "Only the best of the best can do that for a living. You're just not that good." Even if he only said it once, it's quite likely it rang in your head a million times so it seemed like he said it every day of your life. Whatever it was, it stuck. And so, because of the very sensitive nature of your Being, (doncha know? ALL creators are ultra sensitive!), you got yourself a "real" job and put the dancing thing on hold.

When I have some money saved, I'll quit my job and do it.
When I find the courage to move out of this god-forsaken town, I'll do it.
When I turn 18 (or 21 or whatever), I'll do it.
When nobody can stop me....

Sadly, what you might not have realized is that the only person who was really stopping you was

YOU.

And now, here you are, wishing you'd done this or that differently. Wishing you still had that fire burning in your belly. And those lithe, strong muscles. And the so-called youth that has long slipped away (unless, of course, you're still living that youth. In which case, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR???). The point is, that was then and this is now and there isn't any good reason for you to NOT do whatever it is you really wish you could do.

Which leads us back to the self-sabotage thing.

You've been listening to those horrible tapes in your head for so long, you actually have forgotten just how magnificent you really are. Really. Because if you remembered, you wouldn't be punishing yourself by not doing what you really love to do. No matter what it is or how "old" you are. If you remembered how utterly, perfectly magnificent you truly are, you'd stop beating yourself up and let yourself just BE MAGNIFICENT. But the tricky part is that you've forgotten which is why you are where you are in the first place. So here's a little something for you to play with.

Ready?

Pretend you are MAGNIFICENT. Even if it's just for 15 seconds. What would that feel like? What would it feel like to be the marvelous, creative, awesome Being that you really are? I know. You don't know how that feels. But if you will just PRETEND for a little while each and every day, you will remember. You will feel how it feels and know all the way to the core of your Magnificent Beautiful Self that you are and always have been. So...

Whatcha gonna do now?

Leave it alone!

Don't you find it funny how people will scratch and fight and beg and scream and carry on like crazies in the name of "want", and then, when they actually get whatever it is they're wanting, all they can do is talk about all the ick that was before this happened? Don't you find that just a little bit nutso?

I do. I think it's about the craziest thing we can do to ourselves. Just go on and on about how it was and not pay a smidgen of appreciation for how it is. NOW. Not yesterday or last week or a month ago. RIGHT NOW. You asked and you got what you wanted. So why are ya still talking about that old shit?

This commentary comes on the heels of several major changes made by myself and a few other very wonderful people I know. My change was all about moving. Something I've wanted to do for well over a year. When I finally made it happen, I was over-the-top-thrilled. And I still am. It's only been two weeks, but I can tell ya, they have been two of the happiest weeks I've spent in a very long time. Am I talking about the why's and how's and the rest of the Ick that prompted the move? Absolutely NOT. I don't want to live any of that crap for even one more second. Which was my motivation to begin with. The moment I put that last box in my truck and drove away, I was D-O-N-E. With a grin on my mugg and a giant YEEEEEHAWWWWW!, I drove down the road and never looked back. The few people who have asked about "why" have been shut down lickety-split. The rest already knew why...and were cheering for me the whole way. Now...in this new place with all the splendid new energies...that other place seems a million miles away. Life is GRAND, doncha think?

And then there are the others I mentioned...those who were also wanting and wanting and then...grabbed what they wanted. Do you think they are talking about the "before"? Hell no! They are so focused on their triumphs that they, too, are completely oblivious to their prior "ick". Tossed that out the window as they slid seamlessly into their "new" spaces. Celebrations abound. And all those involved are doing the Happy Dance for having realized those dreams. Not a second is wasted on what "was". Not one single nano-second!

So I offer this up to you now: ask for what you want. Stay focused only on that; whatever it is. Stop fretting over the "how's" and "why's" and just keep the image of your dream in your mind. Let the Universe take care of the details. Your job is to identify your desire and then GET OUT OF THE WAY! Once you've met that desire, leave the rest behind. Just LEAVE IT ALONE! It is no longer a part of your Now. So why you wanna keep bringing it up?

See what I mean?

something to think about

Dreams are born every day. Dreams, grand and glorious, born from the ever-expanding Self. Dreams that fuel us to rise, urge us to move, sing us to sleep so we may dream even more. Dreams are what make the journey so thrilling, even when they seem to stall. Dreams really do come true.

There are some who fear the fulfillment of their dreams. They fear that once the dream is realized, they will have nothing more to live for. That after the box is opened, there will be nothing left to unwrap. What they do not seem to remember is that for every dream realized, a new dream is born. Because it is truly the nature of the Beast. We do not stop at one. There is always more to see, more to want, more to be.

And so, if dreams are born anew, ever and ever on, then it would seem that we will never have it all. And this, my friend, is a marvelous thing to know.

Kinda changes the face of the adage, eh?

Go to sleep with it...wake up with it.

It's a strange and mysterious thing. That whatever we go to sleep with is precisely what we wake up with. I'm not talking about the man (or woman) beside you. I'm talking about those thoughts that are flyin' around in your head as you fall asleep. No matter how deeply you sleep or how many vivid dreams you may have, you're still going to wake up with whatever you were thinking about before you went off to LaLaLand.

There are some who believe that when we sleep we return to the Source from whence we came. Others believe slumber is nothing more than an unconscious state. And still others believe that sleeping is as close to death as we get while we're still here.

As far as I can tell, the jury is still out.

I like the "return to Source" one. Makes me happy to think about being able to "cross over" and come back again. Cool stuff. But then, consider the source (by that I mean the person who's writing this). I also believe in Santa Claus and magick. So it's not a stretch for me to grab hold of the crossing over thang. It's just fun to think about. And you know me...I'm all about the fun.

So then....let's say you lie down in bed and try to get your brain to stop whirring. You may have some little tricks you use to reach those ends. But still...it just keeps a-whirrin' and a-buzzin'; those pesky words you heard from a crabby neighbor or that spat you had with your bonehead roommate or the nasty confrontation you had with your boss. The words and the feelings they evoke just won't go away. Like gnats flyin' up your nose. ICK.

Finally, without a hint as to how or why, you fall asleep. And you dream. And dream. And dream.

And then you wake up....only to find those same thoughts right there at the forefront of your mind.

DANG IT!

OR....

You put on some soft music. And you slow down your breathing. And you just focus on that breath...in and out, in and out, in and out. You don't even have to try to stop your brain because you're so focused on the breathing and the lovely music and the coziness of your bed and that wonderful pillow you just bought that is absolutely perfect. There you are, lying in bed, with nary a thought about anything. And then ....ZZZZZZZ. Deep, restful slumber. When you wake up, you're refreshed and rested and happy to be alive. You hear the birds singing and the roosters cock-a-doodling (if you happen to be so lucky to have roosters nearby) and the trees whispering in the soft, morning wind. Your dog comes in with tail a-waggin', happy that you're awake. He jumps up on the bed and you snuggle for a little while, with a grin as big as a Cheshire cat. Your body is tingling. Your heart is full. Your new day has begun.

See the difference here?

when nothing else will do

don't suppose that things will just "happen"
i mean, it's not like we don't have some part in all this
no matter what i want
first i have to decide what it is
next step
action
if i want to publish a book
i must first write it
if i want to change my space
i must decide what the new one will be
if i want to climb a mountain
i must take that first step
no matter what i want
i must first do
even if it's nothing more than getting it clear in my head
actually seeing it
whatever it is
i gotta know what i want first
it's really that simple
how come everybody wants to
complicate stuff?
sheesh.