See the Change You Wish to Be

by Karen Talavera on January 11, 2012

6648836467 d45c4022ae See the Change You Wish to Be
cc See the Change You Wish to Be photo credit: Brittni Gee Photography

By now most of us have heard Ghandi’s famous exhortation “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”.  As we begin a new year, I propose we reverse his sage advice.

Better yet, apply it both ways.

I’ve pondered this a lot of late, deducing that both seeing and being the change we wish for are equally necessary and potent to manifesting it.  And given the accelerated rate of change (plus no signs of it abating), we’ll need both our powers of action and vision to manifest a more harmonious, abundant, healthy world in 2012.

Is Your Vision 20-20 in 2012?

So to begin, ask yourself: When you dream, plan, desire and ponder the future, is your vision clear or cloudy?

How, day to day, when you speak to your children, your parents, your partner, your clients, do you see them?

Do you allow them to have their dreams, plans, desires and wishes without considering what they want a negation of your own?

Do you see more of the same you’ve experienced so far, or, does your imagination allow for seeing what you’d prefer instead? Does your thought process permit the vision of your ideal?

Blurred vision is Continue reading >

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4263284498 507cf57a77 Transitioning Into 2012: What I left behind in Amsterdam on New Year’s Eve
cc Transitioning Into 2012: What I left behind in Amsterdam on New Year’s Eve photo credit: LenDog64

As you know if you’ve traveled yourself or read my other outer journey adventures every new journey reveals a special gift otherwise unavailable to you.

This trip is delivering early. That’s the thing about travel. You never know when the gifts will appear. They so often show up in the quiet spaces between big planned events, and of course when you least expect them.

I’m writing this on January 1 at 35,000 feet on a flight from Amsterdam to Istanbul on my latest outer journey accompanied by husband and daughter.

Amsterdam was meant to be Continue reading >

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New Year’s Reflection and Inspiration: Consciously Approaching 2012

December 29, 2011

photo credit: wrestlingentropy This year for me, the holidays were quieter, simpler and less hectic than usual. Maybe it was the lack of travel (a rarity), absence of family visitors, or simply the days of the week on which actual holidays fell, but whatever the reasons I savored the calm spaciousness. As a result I’m [...]

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Are You Open to Receiving?

December 22, 2011

photo credit: Theodore Scott A Cautionary Tale First, a little holiday story: You’d have to be blind not to notice it was the largest present under the tree.  He had wrapped it as best he could, but still the bright paper and gaudy bow made it stand out like a flashy hotel on the Vegas [...]

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Your Holiday Survival Guide to Staying Spiritually Centered

December 14, 2011

photo credit: seantoyer To say holiday family gatherings can be challenging is a gross understatement.  Take attendant seasonal stress, combine with deeply-ingrained behavior patterns rearing their ugly heads, mix in a few triggering personalities, a smattering of cultural conditioning, and finally toss in forced togetherness with people you might see (and begrudgingly at that) just [...]

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The Transformative Heart-Opening Power of Gratitude

November 24, 2011

This time of year, much of the northern hemisphere grows cold. Often the change in climate makes it easy for our hearts to grow cold too. We contract our bodies to stay warm, add extra layers to insulate ourselves. If we’re not mindful, our emotional bodies will mimic our physical bodies until we’re tucked tight [...]

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Carrot, Egg or Coffee: Which Are You?

November 18, 2011

photo credit: Ambernectar 13 Another parable (author unknown) landed in my inbox recently, and I feel it’s pithy enough to share.  Called “Carrots, Eggs and Coffee” here it is: Carrots, Eggs and Coffee A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She [...]

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Before You Die

November 11, 2011

photo credit: Kazz.0 Much is being made of today’s date, 11-11-11. Elevens are not new to me, since for the past four to five years I’ve been seeing them all over the place – on digital clocks, parking spaces, hotel rooms I’m randomly assigned, phone numbers – you name it.  I normally wake up at [...]

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The Longing for Home

September 16, 2011

There are times when even the most seasoned of travelers can become deeply homesick. Today is one of those days for me. It doesn’t happen often – I don’t trend toward nostalgia and homesickness – but they have caught me off guard every now and then when I’m on one of my numerous outer journeys. [...]

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Do You Know Who You Really Are, and Are You Living As If You Believe It?

September 8, 2011

photo credit: pr0d1gy Recently this story about a journey crossed my path.  You may have run across it yourself; it’s often read at funeral and memorial services: The Dragonfly Once, in a little pond, in the muddy water under the lily pads, there lived a little water beetle in a community of water beetles. They [...]

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