Comfort Zone

Dear Goddesses,

Monday evening, I went to a Soul Yoga class with my dear friend Dana. Although the class was mainly in Spanish – and unfortunately my Spanish skills are, well, not where they need to be – it was clear what the intention of the class was and so although I understood little of the words, I was clear with the intention. I decided to take a look at my relationship to abundance and my ability (or inability) to attract at this moment. And while we were doing the yoga movements, I noticed how incredibly stiff my body was, as if I was stretching from being in one position for too long. I looked at my body’s reaction to the movements and what it was that I wanted to transform, and I saw just how rigid my life has become – and so has my body. I saw how I was living in the box – of my own design. Another thing I recognized as we went into a pose resembling a frog, I was really struggling and I looked around and it seemed that with that particular pose everyone seemed at ease. I looked at their feet and I felt like I was doing the exact same thing, but then I happened to look down at my feet and while my right foot was solid on the ground, my left foot was totally crooked and my stance was completely narrow, where everyone else had this wide balanced stance. I couldn't help but see how this also connected to abundance - that I am not allowing myself the foundation, the ease in which to open and attract - again, I put myself into this very tight pose, expecting the same ease that everyone else was experiencing.

I thought it fit perfectly with the theme of justice – and how sometimes we set our lives in such a rigid way that we end up rebelling, or finding that according to our rigidness, we can’t “win” or experience success because we’re living by these harsh rules.

I was reading a little of Jack Canfield’s The Success Principles yesterday and chapter 10 is about releasing the brake. He used the analogy of driving with your parking brake on and when you realize that it is on, you don’t put your foot harder on the gas to go faster, you simply release the brake. And most of us are driving with a psychological emergency brake on and wondering how come we’re not getting to our destination fast enough. He related – my rigid box analogy as our safety zone.

I want to share with you a little blurb…

“Think of your comfort zone as a prison you live in – a largely self-created prison. It consists of the collection of can’ts, musts, must nots, and other unfounded beliefs formed from all the negative thoughts and decisions you hgave accumulated and reinforced during your lifetime…

A baby elephant is trained at birth to be confined to a very small space. Its trainer will tie its leg with a rope to a wooden post planted deep in the ground. This confines the baby elephant to an area determined by the length of the rope – the elephant’s comfort zone. Though the baby elephant will initially try to break the rope, the rope is too strong, and so the baby elephant learns that it can’t break the rope. It learns that it has to stay in the area defined by the length of the rope.

When the elephant grows up into a 5 ton colossus that could easily break the same rope, it doesn’t even try because it learned as a baby that it couldn’t break the rope. In this way, the largest elephant can be confined by the puniest little rope.

Perhaps this also describes you – still trapped in a comfort zone by something as puny and weak as the small rope and stake that controls the elephant, except your rope is made up of the limiting beliefs and images that you received and took on when you were young. If this describes you, the good news is that you can change your comfort zone. How? There are three different ways:

1. You can use affirmations and positive self-talk to affirm already having what you want, doing what you want, and being the way that you want.
2. You can create powerful and compelling new internal images of having, doing, and being what you want.
3. You can simply change your behavior.

All three of these approaches will shift you out of your old comfort zone.”

The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.”

Albert Einstein

I’ll leave you with this blurb today – there’s another related one that I will share tomorrow.

Patty’s Challenge: What is your comfort zone and how is it imprisoning you? What is one thing that you can do TODAY to begin to expand your comfort zone? (you’ll know you are heading to the edges of your comfort zone when you begin to feel uncomfortable!) Your comfort zone dictates where you eat, where you shop, where you live, where you travel…If you see a store or restaurant that you would normally never shop at, never eat at because you think it would be too expensive, too trendy – take a step inside. Have a cup of coffee and a pastry at the restaurant perhaps, or buy something small at a gourmet food store. Start breaking the rigid box we have placed ourselves in…

Love to you,
Patty

To Justice with Love

Dearest Goddesses,

I read Maat’s message today – about Justice – and it reminded me of something I heard in Denise Linn’s Soul Coaching Program – that where you are in life is sometimes less important than the judgments we have about where we are. Inner peace can be reached only by allowing yourself to be where you are in the moment.

I’m sure in your world, there are experiences that you have where you were in fact treated unfairly or unjustly and need Maat’s help to find justice – or to find peace – but if you’re anything like me, it’s how we treat ourselves that can be considered the most unjust!

Sometimes ranting and raving into the computer helps me process something that I’m going through – most times I just delete them, sometimes I save them but I happened to leave it up on the computer and John read it and he couldn’t believe the amount of suffering I went through in certain situations, about where my head went from one topic to another. He told me he couldn’t believe how I torture myself!

“Maat says that the way to wholeness for you lies in accepting the loving nature of justice which seeks to right all wrongs by administering the lessons needed.”

Perhaps it’s that Catholic guilt in my subconscious, or the cancer in me that wants to take care of everyone else, perhaps I’ve watched too much Law & Order…I guess I never considered the “loving nature” of justice and see more of the punishment aspect! I think we all need to cut ourselves some slack – whatya think?

Where do you need to accept where you are in your life and let go of the judgments you have about where you are? Spend some extra time today and throughout the week sending warm, loving thoughts to that aspect of yourself. Give up your judgments of others, and especially those judgments of yourself.

Love to you,

Patty

Maat: Justice

The following is excerpted exactly from The Goddess Oracle by Amy Sophia Marashinsky and the illustrations are by Hrana Janto. For more information on their work, please visit the following websites:

Amy Sophia Marashinsky: http://www.amysophia.com/
You can download the meditations included in the ritual suggestions at http://deepspiritualnourishment.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2

Hrana Janto: http://www.hranajanto.com/

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I am the law of truth

the path of integrity

preserver of the code

and in my heart justice lives

I weigh all deeds against

My feather of truth

I weigh all deeds

And should they prove the heavier

Then I give the lessons

I create the opportunities

I open the pathways

I graciously bestow

that which needs to be learned

to right all wrongs.

Mythology

Maat (pronounced maht) was an ancient Egyptian Goddess of law, order, truth, and justice. With her feather of truth she weighed the souls of all who came to her subterranean Hall of Judgment. She would place her plume on her scales opposite the heart of the deceased. If the scales balanced, the deceased could feast with deities and spirits of the dead; if the heart was heavy, the deceased was turned over the Ahemait (Underworld Goddess who is pant hippopotamus, part lion, part crocodile) to be devoured.

Meaning of the Card

Maat has come with her feather of truth to assist you in bringing justice into your life. Are you in a situation that seems unfair, unjust, unreasonable? Have you used integrity, yet another or others have not, and now you are wounded and seek justice? Have you not been honest in your words, your deeds, your actions? Are you being unjust to others? To yourself? Perhaps your standards are so rigid that you find them impossible to meet and continually need to rebel? Do you have an inner judge who condemns you for any infractions in his/her rule? Now is the time to look at your life and invite justice in. Now is the time to repay all debts, to strike a fair and reasonable balance in all your dealings. Maat says that the way to wholeness for you lies in accepting the loving nature of justice which seeks to right all wrongs by administering the lessons needed.

Ritual Suggestion: Handing Over to Maat for Justice

Find a time and a place where and when you will not be disturbed. You may want to wear clothing that is different from your everyday apparel. You may want to light some incense and/or candles. Do what is most comfortable for you.

Cast your circle by calling in or becoming the elements earth, air, fire, water (if you need help with this, please contact me for more information, PK) Call in whatever you need or want to call in – power animal(s), the Goddess and the God, the Great Mystery, Grandmother Moon. Once you have cast the circle and called in what/whoever you cvhoose you are ready to call in Maat. You may want to put the card representing Maat in the center of the circle or include something that represents Maat to you. It is best when you are calling in a Goddess to use your own words and speak directly from your heart. It is not the words you use that matter, it is the intent, coming sincerely and directly from the heart. Close your eyes and call her in with drumming, chanting, dancing, singing, with words spoken out loud or in silence. Open to her and sense, see, or feel her presence. Now hand over to her what requires justice in your life. Feel the situation being lifted off your shoulders. Really sense, see, or feel that Maat is going to take care of it. It is out of your life, off your back, removed from your mind. Thank Maat for coming and release her with gratitude. Now release what you have called in. Allow yourself to feel, sense or see the circle you have cast disappearing into the air. Welcome back!