Below is a letter & article are from an amazing woman … I think it will be powerful for all who read this!

 

front view from rosegardenHi Cat,

I don’t know if you will remember me, but we met several years ago when you were first moving into your home in Santa Barbara.. you advertised free boxes on Craigslist and I gratefully accepted.  You generously gave me a tour of the incredible property and we had a lovely chat!  I then attended one of the lovely events you had there shortly afterward.

Fast forward …. since then I have been in a major life transition including but not limited to losing my own home to the economy, losing 60% of my retirement savings, and getting a breast cancer diagnosis – within 6 months of each other.. oh yes, and taking care of and losing a dear friend to cancer, as well.

But not one to give up, I reinvented my life at age 62.  After 22 years in the commercial real estate business here in SB – mostly successful on the outside, but not fulfilled on the inside.  These events gave me a big wake up call and so I decided to  become a yoga teacher, a Heal Your Life workshop leader and certified to teach people yoga that have PTSD.  I am definitely living my life and reinventing my life passionately and loving every minute of it. When I am teaching, I am truly my most Authentic Self and my Highest Self.. something I strive to teach each one of my beloved students to have.

On my recently completed website, I am writing a few articles about Finding the Divine in everyday life.  Most of the people I teach and talk to are just so distracted with all of the assault of media, stimulation, constantly on iphone, ipad, blog, text, tweeting, email, etc ( most of the time simultaneously on all of them at the same time), that they are numb and don’t know what to do to stop it.  Anyway, I follow your website and love your articles and thought maybe this one might be relevant to todays’ world and all of our search for real connection and meaning in this hectic pace we keep.

– Vikki

 

Findingthedivine

Finding the Divine in Everyday Life

We read and hear frequently these days that being  PRESENT in the moment, is the key to happiness- and to  experiencing  the Divine in our everyday lives.  But what does that mean exactly in real everyday life – when we are late on the bills, sitting in traffic, stuck at the office until 8:00 pm,  facing a financial or health crisis,  and the endless litany of stuff that drains our energy so that there is nothing left?  How do ordinary folks like us find those glimpses of the Divine in the middle of this hectic human experience,  if aren’t rich, famous or royalty, and we don’t live in an ashram,  a hilltop mansion in Fiji, or  a beach front villa? What if we’re not Oprah, Eckhart or Deepak… where and when do we get our opportunities for bliss?

I found my answer in the most unexpected place, and my experience  was so utterly Divine – time stood still, my heart stopped and  tears welled up in my eyes.   It happened in a matter of seconds and was over in a blink of an eye – but it meant more to me than being in that hilltop mansion in Fiji for sure.

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take,but by the number of moments that take your breath away”
…anonymous

I was sitting in the stands waiting for my grandson’s 6th grade basketball playoff game to start.  To him, this game was as important as any NBA championship.  He was  serious, focused and determined in an extraordinarily mature way,  that was well beyond his twelve years. He is my only grandchild and we have always had a special bond.  Even though he is getting a little shadow of dark fuzz on his upper lip and eruptions on his face, he is still my little guy.  With him, I get to play, be silly and break the rules.  I  get to irreverently advise him before every game,  “Kick butt and take names, Honey”, followed by exaggerated fist and chest bumping– and he laughs and rolls his eyes.

vickiHis team makes their grand entrance into the gym, complete with  their  most serious “game” faces on –  heads down, focused and ready for stiff competition.   I have been instructed to be restrained and not embarrass him by cheering and calling him “Honey” in public .  So, I sit there quietly on the outside, while screaming and cheering on the inside.  Just before his team huddles with the coach, my  little guy, Ryan, ever so discreetly, breaks formation to purposefully look all through the crowd until he finds my face –then he flashes that impish,  dimpled grin acknowledging that he sees me  – and most importantly, that he is happy and proud that  I am there!    We make eye contact for a precious split second , and I respond with our special hand gesture.  My favorite affirmation pops into my head, as the tears roll down my cheeks…  “In the Infinity of life where I am, all is perfect, whole and complete”.

Wishing you Magic, Miracles and Moments that take your breath away!

Vikki

See the original article: Finding the Divine in Everyday Life