A Likely Story

The Higher Self Bookstore celebrates it's 25 year anniversary on April 7th. I became caretaker on July 7, 2000. The numerology and astrology of these birth dates is really quite fascinating. But that's another story.

The story I heard about the origin of the Higher Self Bookstore goes something like this: Donna, the original creator, was buying so many books and products to support her personal studies, growth, and development that her husband suggested she might as well open a store. So she did!

I like this story, and I've repeated the story to others. However, I have never confirmed the story with Donna. There actually may be no truth to it at all! Now I find myself pondering just how many stories I repeat out of ignorance, because I either like the story or because I'm afraid and pass on the story to warn you about something you should be afraid of as well.

Every once in a while I forward something via email, or copy and paste on facebook, information I find out later is totally bogus. Is it because I want it to be true? Do I send it on from a place of compassion and consciousness-raising, or to create drama?

Happy stories that I've made up and hold dear can be like a good joke, bringing smiles and laughter. Whether they are true or not may hold no consequence. Stories of gloom and doom are not quite so innocent.

So what about the stories we accepted as true just because someone we assume is an authority. Like our parents, teachers, spiritual leaders, politicians, and authors. Granted, most the stories work for us - like this is how to read, how to drive a car, how to make oatmeal, and how to have safe sex. And then there are those that just don't work anymore and show up as limitations. You know which ones I'm talking about because they don't feel right, don't make sense. They separate us, make us fearful, judgmental, and self-righteous. We repeat them anyway.

When I say "Challenge authority", what I mean is do your research. Ask yourself, "is this true." It may not matter if you are just going to keep it to yourself. It may be a good practice to check the facts before entering into a debate.

The good news about stories is you made it up, or you made a choice to accept it. Yep, good news because you can also choose to change it or make up a new story. We are meaning-making, storytelling human beings, so make it a good one, one that works - for the highest good of all with harm to none.

Everything you've just read here is just a likely story. I made it up. I don't know the truth beyond a reasonable doubt, but I have done some research so it makes this all just a "likely" story.

Flow with the Flux

My friend, Brenda, often said something like, "He's giving me the flux!" She was obviously frustrated at these times and I just assumed she was saying, "He's making me crazy!"

The other day the word flux showed up in my head while talking about how fast the world seems to be changing and the increasing challenges that are appearing in so many people's lives. I figured it was time to read the actual definition of flux. 1) flow 2) rate of flow 3) a continuous movement or change.

I pick Door Number 3! Yup, continuous change can sure provide the opportunity for a person to think they are going insane. We are in flux like we have never been in flux before (well, I've read that we have been here before but "we" in our bodies of today have not.)

It would be nice if we could put on the brakes and take a breather, but that is not going to happen and we'd only want to take another break, and another. We must learn to be in flow with the flux!

You can be in a state of flux, call it bad, and make yourself crazy. Or you can learn to be in flow with the flux and enjoy the ride. You can't stop the universe, or the new energies that are affecting us on all levels. You can't change congress in a day, or bring peace to the world in an hour. You can flow with the changes and bring peace to yourself now.

I know, all the teachers are telling you to accept change, embrace change, practice change - and they are absolutely right. But how? Breathe, deeply. Know that you are at choice - you can let go instead of fight the flux. My therapist (Chinese medicine) told me my hip problem was because I was being pulled in too many directions. Allowing would be more accurate. What else was I to do but twist and turn to keep all the balls in the air - flux adding more balls all the time?

Well, I identified which balls must be managed in this moment and let the others drop. Let me tell you there were some people who were not happy with this decision. Later, when I was more balanced and the stabbing in my hip went away, I went to pick up the balls I had dropped and, lo and behold, they were gone! Of course, new balls are always coming my way via flux - some I grab onto, some I let go by.

As my hip healed, I rested. Breathe and rest. Some mornings I'd wake up in a sour mood, with no reason for it (ever happen to you?). I'd spend the entire morning psycho-analysing myself! What's up with me? Is there a buried issue coming up? Did a dark entity enter my house?

When I got to the Higher Self Bookstore, a psychic might say "did you feel that energy shift?", or an astrologer would tell me we just entered mercury retrograde or this planet just entered that other planet's orbit - did I feel it? So, I had spent my precious morning looking for what was wrong with me when all that happened was a shift in energy. I don't do that anymore.

Breathe, rest, and choose what you want to pay attention to. Flux in itself is not good or bad. Avoid judging the flux! In her frustration, Brenda made flux a bad thing. Flux is flux, flux is flow, it is what it is. You can't fight it, so flow with it. Here's a little something that came to me this morning that helps in discerning good and bad:

There was a little girl, who had a little curl - right in the middle of her forehead
When she was good, she was doing what she should -
And when she was bad she was awesome!