I recently submitted this article to Marshal Creek Center and thought I'd share it here:
There’s a new shaman in town. But there is no need for saging, drumming, or dancing.
This shaman is actually a wise old spirit, here once again. His message is a gentle reminder of an age old perspective that we choose our experiences out of what we think, what we say, what we believe, how we act and what attitude we have. The only requirement to access the magic of this spiritual concept is to pay attention to what you hold in your mind and the stories you are telling yourself. So, what are you thinking?
Our shaman is in good company! The Upandishads taught us “Let one therefore keep the mind pure, for what a man thinks, that he becomes.” And we learn from Buddha that all we are is a result of what we have thought. Our mind is everything, what we think, we become.
Yikes! This could mean that every thought we think is a direct prayer to God, our Higher Power, the Divine Intelligence of the Universe, our personal Medicine.
The media is full of agreement that we, the whole world, are in an economic downturn. Yes, we are being bombarded with bad news. It’s right there clamoring for attention, banging on our doors and on the hood of our cars. But is this the reality that you really want to create for yourself? The shaman thinks not.
When you learn to parachute you are taught “don’t look where you don’t want to go!” The shaman teaches us that our only job as human beings is to be aware of and present to what we are holding in our thoughts. This reminds me of a song I learned many years ago:
Our thoughts are prayers
And we are always praying
Our thoughts are prayers
Be careful what you’re saying
Seek a higher consciousness
A state of peacefulness
And know that God is always there
Every thought becomes a prayer.
So, this is what I’ve learned from my personal shaman. To be consistently aware of my thoughts and the stories I’m telling myself. If my energy feels love and expansive, this is good. If my energy feels fearful with the need to contract and protect, this is not so good. I often stop and consider my thoughts and feel my energy. Is this what I want more of in my life? So I make a conscious decision to change my thoughts from what I don’t want to what I do want.
I am so grateful that our shaman is getting the word out there. He’s taught me to keep my thoughts focused on a world that supports positive thinking and the laws of attraction. The more I think about it, the more I see it in the community around me and the more I experience it in my life. I invite you to think about and dwell on the positive, wonderful, loving ways you want to experience life. Allow the shaman to gently help you keep focused on what you do want.
As you also find evidence of love, abundance and peace in your community we can join together in celebrating with our wise old shaman. Maybe we will burn some sage of thanksgiving, drum the beat of our gratitude, and dance with love and joy in our hearts.
Namaste
Chris Flynn,
Conscious Connections Coach
Holistic Business Consulting
http://www.consciousconnectionscoach.com/
http://slvholisticnetwork.blogspot.com/
