METTA CENTER

I read these words on a cover of a magazine recently and started thinking how glad I am that I have given myself permission to explore my spiritual side and learn so much from so many different sources. My life has changed in such profound ways. I  have changed. Now, I am inviting you to give yourself the permission to explore the realm of the divine both within you and outside of you. Explore the realm of energy, of everything and nothing. Find out how high you can soar. How would your life be different if you give yourself permission to explore and soar? Where would you be?

(This article was first published in Metta Center Newsletter, April 2005) I would love to introduce you to the term "writing on the wall". Coined by Gary Craig, the founder of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), it refers to the sets of beliefs, shoulds, shouldn'ts, can, can'ts, etc. that we have agreed to, consciously or unconsciously, as "truths" in our individual consciousness. How did the writing get on our wall? In childhood, we received numerous messages from our well-meaning parents, teachers, friends, leaders, media, etc. We often formed our self-image and hoped to make sense of the world based on these "truths". We consult the writing on our walls to determine whether something is appropriate or acceptable to us, whether it is a "good" or "bad" idea, etc. The writing on the wall can be very positive and supportive in helping us achieve success in the world. At the same time, many of these "truths" limit n...

Spring is here! I love watching all the new buds and branches shooting out from plants. It has been magical indeed to watch my plum tree blossoming and then, poof, the blossoms fell and new green leaves came out to adorn the tree. How did the tree know how to do that? Nature's designs are amazingly intelligent and graceful. Do you ever wonder how we grow? Our bodies just grow, from infant-hood to childhood to adolescence to full grown adult. For most people, the process of growing is very effortless. You don't wake up each day and say "OK, now, I am going to grow 1mm today" or "I am going to grow one more new cell for my nails". It's just done. Simple as that. Most of us need to enlarge our self-concept. We may see ourselves as a bag of bones but, in truth, we are eternal, multi-faceted and multi-dimensional spiritual beings having a human experience. It's time to think of ourselves as much larger and grander than just a physical and emotional be...

This morning, I was thinking how so many of us (including me) are afraid to be a fool or make a fool of ourselves. Then, all of a sudden, the word "full" just floated in my mind, replacing the word "fool." And with that simple change I saw things with a different light! It dawned on me that when we are afraid of being a fool, we are afraid to be a full or abundant being in our own right. We are afraid to make ourselves full and be filled with our own Spirit. Hah! What a new thought for me! I was painfully aware of the various (and creative ways) I have chosen to stay small and withhold the fullness that I am because I didn't want to be a "fool." I know I have patterns where the "fool" in me got pushed aside for the voice of reason. So with this realization I have decided to no longer be afraid to be either a fool or "full" anymore. I choose to fully embrace the fool in me and honor the gifts of this archetype. I choose to liv...

(Collected from email, March 2010) Worth thinking about... In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule. About 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. At 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. At 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was re...

"Each moment is actually a stepping stone--another chance at bliss." ~ N.M. Last Friday, I had the opportunity to see "Man of La Mancha". In one of the scenes, Don Quixote was observing that as he held dying comrades in his arms, their eyes seemed to ask him why. He said: "I do not think they were asking why they were dying... but why they had ever lived." That line struck a chord inside me. Why do we live at all? I have been contemplating that question. Why do we bother to live at all? Why do we come here? Many of us might think that we didn't choose to be here and were just plunked down by happenstance. We could have been dropped on a different planet, but here we are on Earth right now, reading this newsletter. But, what if we did choose our presence here? Why did we come to live in this body, in this particular time-space? A few days later, as I was walking in nature, enjoying the spring-like weather, I found my answer. I was walking o...

(From "The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness" by Joel ben Izzy. This book is about the author, a storyteller, who lost his voice due to cancer and his healing journey. This is an inspiring and wonderful book! ) Story Origin: Sufi Muslim, Turkey Nasrudin is known much for his wisdom as his foolishness, and many are those who have sought out his teaching. One devotee tracked him down for many years before finding him in the marketplace sitting atop a pile of banana peels - no one knows why. "Oh great sage, Nasrudin," said the eager student. "I must ask you a very important question, the answer to which we all seek: What is the secret to attaining happiness?" Nasrudin thought for a time, then responded. "The secret of happiness is good judgment." "Ah," said the student. "But how do we attain good judgment?" "From experience," answered Nasrudin. "Yes," said the student. "But how do ...