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I was blessed to recently assist MSIA's Living In Grace Retreat
at Asilomar, which is in Pacific Grove/Monterrey, California.
This was a week long retreat overflowing with love, healing,
inner communing with Spirit, dear friends, beauty and grace.
My biggest take-away from the experience was realizing the fact that I am already Living in Grace each and every moment of my precious life.
This was not always my perspective.
And, how we experience life is very much steeped in and
influenced by our mental perspective which directly impacts our emotional experience of ourselves, others and the world.
I grew up grumbling and ungrateful.
I was a clunky kid, uncoordinated and awkward.
Often, I felt sad, lonely and disconnected.
In school, I never felt cool or pretty or popular.
I felt hum-drum and anxious... like I was missing something.
Life seemed like a series of heartaches and disappointments.
I had moments of joy, and I felt safe thanks to my mom and dad...
but in my memory, I was cynical, judgy, and was a constant complainer.
When I started personal growth work in my early 20's I discovered I had the power to create my reality. Though still judgy, I became a problem solver, 'fixer,' and a devout busy worker bee. Over the years I've found great satisfaction
in learning, creating, and doing, especially in doing these things well.
I still do.
But the thing that is fairly new for me... is letting go of judgment.
I don't know how or when this happened (and it's still a work in progress),
but I'm convinced that judgment is the root of all suffering.
Byron Katie puts it well in these two quotes:
'When you argue with reality, you lose, but only 100% of the time.'
And:
'I am a lover of what is, not because I'm a spiritual person, but because
it hurts when I argue with reality. We can know that reality is good just as it is, because when we argue with it, we experience tension and frustration.
We don't feel natural or balanced. When we stop opposing reality, action becomes simple, fluid, kind, and fearless.'
Letting go of judgment - toward ourself, others, life, the world - creates space.
It makes a heck of a lot more room for grace and joy, awe and magic, connection and expansion, and also for miracles!
Thankfully, I have come to know how Truly Blessed I am.
And, Grace has been here the whole time in me, as me, and as my life.
We get to be 100% ourselves here in Earth School - fully alive and expressed.
And it's okay if you don't know what '100% you' is yet... just keep swimming, stay in the game, be curious, be of service, start small.
Oh joy, I get to go to the grocery store today.
What a blessing it is to be in this maturing body.
What kind of magic can I bring my neighbors today?
How lucky I am to have an amazing family who loves me!
What a miracle it is that I get to help people organize their homes!
And on and on and on.
Living in Grace is really all perspective!
Start noticing the Grace in and around you.
Give thanks for this... and watch it grow.
If you want to live grumbling and grouchy, that's an option too,
But it's not nearly as much fun or fulfilling!
Life becomes simpler and more fluid when we let go of judging.
Accepting what is... opens us to Grace.
With practice, you will begin to see a shift inside and out.
It is a privilege to be alive in this world of wonder and wackiness.
It is a joy to be able to share these newsletters with you each month.
Thank you so much for reading, for caring, and for sharing.
What a delight and honor it is to know beautiful you!
May 2023 be your year for Living in Grace!
If you need encouragement or a reminder, drop me an email.
I'm signing off packed and ready to go to Beloved Mexico (Yelapa)
for 17 days. My flight leaves in 4 hours - Yippee!
In Grace & Gratitude,
Teri Jo
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