Expansion

Growing In The Waiting

Denny Daikeler

The reports are coming to me just like they’re coming to you.  Horrific storm, direct turn toward Delaware Valley, big winds, 10 inches of water. evacuatuation probably necessary.

I live on a creek that does overflow in extenuating circumstances.  Not comfortable!  So the reports got me.  Unrest inside, head spinnning into action thoughts.  Where will I go?  What if only power outages, what to buy?   Water? I have a spring, but electric is needed.  All the thoughts that  are rarely present are coming in; really  called to action, really hyped!

Keeping the weather hype playing, my own storm grew.  What needs doing right now, what will I grab if I decide to evacuate?   The voice inside of me clearly accompanying the  voice on the television.  We were dancing in frantic unison.

Thoughts moved me toward action.  Do laundry now, incase of power outage. Water plants,  cook a few things,  Even wash fruit and vegetables.  I don’t know who was moving faster, me or the announcer, but we truly were in the energy of the storm.

I decided to get in my car, get a  bit more cash at the ATM, fill up with gas, pick up a few more things at the grocery store.  When I got to the super market I was a bit struck with the slower tempo.  Not everyone was as deliberate as I moving through the aisles.  Some were even chatting or perusing the shelves as if they were looking for some tasty new item.  Hmmm. How confidant!

Leaving the grocery store I noticed how the air was nice, and the sky not so threatening.  Perhaps I’d get a cup of coffee, slow down a bit myself. Driving along more slowly, I heard a loud honk.  Hmm, my pace was too slow for him.

I couldn’t seem to satisfy his desire to go faster, so I pulled over, coffee cup in hand and sat there for a bit. “This is crazy!” I thought, “If anything the storm is now mirroring me!  I’m feeding the drama.  If everything is a mirror, there was no way that hurricane is going to dissipate at all.”

I pulled back out into the flow of cars choosing to drive differently.  I got home and turned on the meditation music.  I sat down and called a friend.  I  Looked out at the eastern sky and saw it was now really bright. “That may change this afternoon,” I thought, but perhaps my shift is  causing the respite,  But whatever, I feel a whole lot more peaceful and grounded in the moment.  Bet I’m far more ready for anything!”

You And Me As Artists

DENNY DAIKELER

There is as much art in creating  life, your life, my life, as there is to creating a beautiful painting, or a marvelous sculpture.  A life that is beautiful to witness is the life that has been filled with well thought-out choices of working, playing and loving.  The “work” becomes easier deeper and fuller when its’ master trusts his or her ability at artistry, their careful considerations,  the clear messages from their heart. It’s the call one answers when they hear the music and the message and have their own way to make it alive and powerful. And real!

This blog has been growing in me through a sharing I did at Del Val College on “Life As Art” to a retirement class.  Then the death of Gabrielle Roth happened, and it all began to come together.

If you don’t know her, Gabrielle Roth is a great example of what I’m calling an artist.  She brought dance off the performance stage and into life. She made dance self-expression, prayer, and a tool for freeing oneself.

As I understand it, Gabrielle  became  struck by dance as a powerful force early in her adult life.  In this awareness she kept moving and feeling  dance herself, slowly growing and understanding that pulling rhythm and music through all of her limbs, and feet, and hands  brought her huge joy and healing. She began getting a very clear personal message of dance as God.  She shared it, taught it,  lived and danced it all for her own expression, and certainly for our enrichment.  She was an artist at work, creating her life.  She didn’t just do it for us.  She did it for herself because it made her come ALIVE.  We were merely the benefactors.

It takes a lot of time to know your call; time to feel, experiment, and decide your own “artful living,” the looks, the activities, the expressions, the  messages that you are compelled to portray.  It takes years of honing, testing, and feeling your Truth.  And as one does that, lo and behold, healing happens because we move away the demons, the  ego, the resistance to expressing ourselves.

I know you’ve been struck at some moment in your life when you’ve observed someone who is doing something with great care, great presence, and abundant energy.  It’s a joy to watch. Perhaps they were sweeping a porch, planting a garden, setting a table, cutting a head of hair, or yes, creative  parenting. And you saw how they were doing it as if the result was  meant to be their masterpiece, their best.

I remember a concert at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.  Andre Previn was the guest and I traveled to the city to witness this man whose music, romance, and creativity had always captured me (not to mention his gorgeous brown hair!) I bought a ticket and took my seat with great anticipation.

Suddenly a figure emerged from stage right, and the crowd applauded  brilliantly.  I strained to make out who the person was.  He was round, gray haired, walking with a cane as he struggled across the stage.  “Who is that?” I thought, knowing in my next moment that it was Andre Previn!

He sat down at the piano, raised his arms and began playing the most heavenly music, with great grace, energy, and power. He played as if he was 25.  I squinted at my program and saw that this concert was a celebration of his 80th birthday!

He raised his arms again, bringing in the full banquet of instruments.  He now divided this energy between his own magnificent rendering and the incorporation of all of the instruments, different parts, crescendos and melodies.  What he was doing was a feat for anyone, and he was embodying it all in his 80 year package of creativity, precision and practice.  Andre Previn was living full out! An artist of life, breathing the  power of Self into the hearts of all.

I want to be like Andre and Gabrielle,  sculpting all the feelings, thoughts, messages coming my way, into a creation of felt observation, illustrated message, and directed energy, modeling LIFE from the very source of my own being.  Then I will know I have lived my life as an artist!

Who Am I?

Am I the accumulation of all that I’ve accomplished?  Am I the title that society has put on my profession?  Am I the sum total of all my degrees and awards.  Or am I fulfilled by fitting into a category, or political situation, or a certain way of thinking or opinion?

Two of my very best friends and I debated this very fascinating topic yesterday at the end of a walk out in the abundance of an early September afternoon and the enjoyment of a chicken salad sandwich that was way over the top with cranberry relish, pecans and Granny Smith apples!I don’t know which of those moments fed the discussion the most, or whether it was our love of exploring life and our desire to expand, but it was a great sharing.

It began with one of us being clear that she had given up all titles for now while she is exploring what’s next to invent in her life.  Another one of us was not sure she could let go of all she’d done, because she didn’t want to lose it (I loved her honesty.) Another of us was considering that she was only who she was in the moment and that was enough. All of these places were perfect, of course, and the discussion about them instigated this blog.

It’s not easy to put aside all we’ve accomplished.  It’s fun to see the shift in attention when we announce things about ourselves.  I always got new interest from someone when I would  announce that I was an interior designer, or I’d just written a book. I got new respect and attention, and often a new direction in the conversation.

I remember being at a gathering of highly intelligent, free thinking persons and a funny thing happened.  A friend came running up to me very excited, exclaiming she had just had a conversation with a most fascinating woman.  She was so inspired at her listening abilities, and awed by her presence.  Who was it ”I asked?“

“That woman over there in the red dress,” she said.

I turned in the direction she pointed and saw the attractive woman in red and recognized her immediately.  She was a local talk show host who had a very prominent position on a local channel and a great deal of visibility because of her personal views.  I shared the person’s identity with my friend, smiling deeply inside.

Both of us were so impressed that this beautiful and prominent woman had not identified herself.  Instead she remained anonymous and therefore in total equality with my friend.  She didn’t choose to dominate with an announcement of who she was, she didn’t identify herself, she didn’t rely on anything to sustain my friend’s interest or to captivate or initiate any platform.  The moment was fresh, new, and reliant only on the presence of these two women open to their conversation in the moment.

My friend was stunned, or should I say speechless!  And then I watched her move to a great deal of awe and respect.  The person not identifying herself made a real mark on her awareness.  She recognized a freedom and consciousness that was so attractive, and so open to acceptance of all possibilities.  No control, no dependence, no affect.  We both looked at each other with new thoughts, new depth, and some valuable input to investigate just being Denny or Kathy, or Joe, and let the life moment go on from there.

Does that violate branding? Does that violate appreciation of what you or I have accomplished?  Or does that represent a step into beingness and confidence that leaves behind the self that relies on the trappings of life and the rules or labels of success? Does that allow connection to be deeper?

Well, just as I was winding up the writing of this blog the phone rang.  It was a dear friend of life.  He announced to me that it was his beloved wife’s 60th birthday this weekend, and I was literally at the top of her list of birthday wishes.  She wanted a consultation at her home with me!

How funny that this call came at this moment.  I say that because I literally am smiling ear to ear to be at the top of her list.  It makes me feel great.  Who am I right now?  I am the first wish at the top of Lori’s birthday wish list, and I feel good. And I can assure you that I’m smiling at all the words on this page.

Here’s what I sent to back to present to Lori:

Dear Lori,

How fascinating that I was in the midst of writing a blog titled:  Who AM I, as a call from Bob came in. It is Lori’s 60th birthday, he announced, and you are literally #1 on the top of her birthday wish list! She wants to consult with you!  Lori, I am flattered. My answer is “of course!”

And Happy Birthday, Lori!

Love, Denny

“It’s fabulous,” I thought.  And I meant it!  I love this couple and Iove that Lori thought of me FIRST AND FOREMOST!

So who am I?   Well, of course, I am #1 on Lori’s birthday wish list. I may have to rewrite the blog, but I’m certainly continuing to learn WHO I AM!

An Astonishing and Unusual Tribute

Can you believe this?  It’s true!  It’s what I so desperately want to get across in my book MESSAGES.  They hear us!  They love us!  We can work with and learn from them! Yes, all of the species, entities, earth-beings on the planet!

The following story about Lawrence Anthony is a gift to all of us.  Reality is bigger than we imagine/perceive/fathom.  If we come to understand even a part of it, we will expand beyond what we ever imagined just by the knowing – even more by the moving into that paradigm.

Enough said, I will let the rest of this blog speak for itself!  I’m going off to my Sacred place to pray and give thanks. And first I will weep for joy for the life and love of Lawrence Anthony!

Lawrence Anthony, a legend in South Africa and author of three books including the bestseller The Elephant Whisperer, bravely rescued wildlife and rehabilitated elephants all over the globe from human atrocities, including the courageous rescue of Baghdad Zoo animals during the US invasion in 2003.

On March 7, 2012 Lawrence Anthony died.  He is remembered and missed by his wife, two sons, two grandsons and numerous elephants.

Two days after his passing, a remarkable thing happened!  The wild elephants showed up at his home led by two large matriarchs. Separate wild herds arrived in droves to say ‘goodbye’ to their beloved man-friend.  A total of twenty elephants had patiently walked over 12 miles to get to his South African house.

Witnessing this spectacle, many people were obviously in awe, not only because of the supreme intelligence and precise timing that these elephants sensed about Lawrence’s passing, but also because of the profound memory and emotion that the beloved animals evoked in such an organized way:  walking slowly – for days – making their way in a solemn one-by-one queue from their habitat to his house.

Lawrence’s wife, Francoise, was especially touched, knowing that the elephants had not been to his house prior to that day for well over a year, yet they knew where they were going! The elephants obviously wanted to pay their deep respects, honoring their friend who’d saved their lives – so much respect that they stayed for two days and two nights.  Then one morning, they left, making their long journey back home.

*The preceding story was taken from a series of emails. It’s authenticity and original author are yet to be identified/determined.

Expanding Suzie

It is my belief that every circumstance that slips into our lives is a possibility for expansion.  It is especially wonderful when a nine year old is hearing the messages and dealing with the lessons many superior in age are unable to recognize. Check out Suzie’s ability in the story below!

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Suzie just turned nine years old. In a family of five, she’s the youngest, followed by Jeffry (12), and Isabelle, who is fourteen.  They get along like most siblings do, especially when one bothers another or gets in the way.  They’re members of a typical family – participating in sibling rivalry, a lot of loyalty, and experiencing the regular growth patterns of many American families. Most of Suzie’s challenges are also typical: she’s five years younger than Isabelle and wants to do everything her sister does. She wants to be included in all of her big sister’s plans.  After all, she’s a girl too! She’s often heard, “Suzie you’re so annoying!”

When it came time for summer vacation, all three kids were flown by plane across nine states to have a three week trip split between two sets of grandparents. They’d have the normal visitations with the old friends of the neighborhood, participate in some sightseeing, and always make time with Grandpa and Grandma. Plans were laid carefully and extended family meetings were set up.

One particular day in this series of days of their summer trip, they went by train into New York City. It was a very hot day and the kids were very excited. They took their seats together and shared their buzz about the connections in Manhattan. Isabelle’s excitement was about meeting a friend from Colorado who was also on a summer expedition to visit some grandparents. The meet-up meant that Isabelle would be absent during the family outing, leaving Suzie to be the “older girl” with Kimberly, exactly 5 years younger! Uh oh!

The day was splendid and went fast!  They connected easily with the family and everyone was glowing because of the fun they were having being together.  Since Suzie is my focus of this story, I’ll segue to her. Kimberly loved her big cousin and wanted to be with her the whole time.  She asked Suzie to carry her, show her, follow her and explain to her.  Whew!  Suzie thought to herself, “Kimberly, you are so annoying!” It was an epiphany for Suzie – she suddenly “understood” the complaints of her big sister over the past two or three years.  Kimberly was receiving a nudge.

She tucked it away, but on the train ride home she shared with her grandmother Mimi what she’d observed.  That is she tried, over the loud voice of a child sitting one seat forward, to explain what she had experienced.  Mimi listened with surprise at Suzie’s ability to sort out her new understandings.  She was even more fascinated at Suzie’s wisdom as they drove home from the station. Suzie identified another awareness as she expressed her relief about “getting away” from the loud voice of the child close-by, a sensitivity she’d long had because of constant complaints of her entire family that she always talked too loud and too much!

“Boy Mimi,” she said, “I get it what everybody’s been saying. That kid’s voice was hard to take – I must be a pain in the neck to Isabelle!”

Mimi and Suzie processed much during the two awakenings, with Mimi startled by the keen perceptions going on in her nine year old granddaughter’s mind.

I was fascinated when I heard the story; what a great look at the workings of Suzie’s soul!  Suzie observed two of her behavioral issues in the company of her very wise grandmother and was supported regarding the beauty and joy of evolving, thanks to the character of her grandmother.

What I wonder is, who is Suzie becoming? As I see it, the Universe was brilliant and quite successful at bringing two issues to Suzie’s reality that would grow and develop her ability to understand her life and circumstances. It was orchestrated to happen in Mimi’s presence, and Mimi possessed the time and wisdom to aid in Suzie’s processing. Suzie was able to SEE and GET it!  It seems to me that her Soul is helping her evolve nicely.  I wonder what mission she is made to fulfill? I think I’ll stay tuned for more of Suzie’s life?
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