Inspiration

The Power of Positive Purpose

January 25, 2017 By Cara Lumen

I have to believe that I can make a difference. I have to believe that my thoughts and focused intentions can actually change the world.
I no longer need proof because my belief in the power of positive purpose is so great that I have now immersed myself in that work.

We are limited by our body suit

It’s very easy to feel constrained by the confines of our human dimension, our Body Suit and our mind. We think that if we can’t imagine it, it can’t happen. But that’s simply not true. Our universe goes back millions of years. Millions. Each day new things are being discovered that we never thought possible a few days earlier. What we have to work with is this one moment. And then this moment. And this one. What we do in this moment has great power.

What do you do with your power now?

If “all there is” is in this moment, what’s the best use of it? I could worry, or be angry. I can make plans or create something. I can be still and listen to my inner voice. The most powerful act any of us can take in the present moment is to be present. Simply be. Stop the human mind. Listen to the voice within.

The unifying message is the voice within

When I shut out the busy-ness of my human mind, I’m steeped in a beautiful wholeness, a feeling of serenity, of connectedness, of floating free. Gradually, I can lose my sense of separateness and merge with this floating feeling as if I were part of a cloud, or fog, or mist. Perfect peace here. No judgment. No conflict. Only peace, serenity and stillness.

I like being here. I feel nurtured and supported and energized
— simply by losing myself in the present moment.

Your answers lie within

I listen. There’s stillness. And there’s simple knowing. There’s connection — not with other separate beings, but with a Great Whole — Tao. That energy that is both within and outside each of us.

As I learn to trust the nudges and nuances that come from deep within, I learn to translate those on the human plane. Even as I begin to interpret those wisps and insights, I move back within to make certain I’m interpreting correctly.

Our positive purpose

We each have a purpose. We have a responsibility to learn what it is and to translate it into our human life, our body suits. We are to walk beside others in service. We are to use our gifts to enlighten and inspire and motivate others. And then we get to work. We take our gifts and our purpose out into the physical plane and make positive stuff happen.

First we use the power of our intention. Then we adjust to what we find in the world, pulling it always toward wholeness and oneness. There is no separation. We are one.

Everything we do affects the whole. Our response to the whole affects everything we do. We must see and feel and be our wholeness.

Take your focused intention into the world

Very few people on the planet are doing this focused inner work. Those who are called are free of all dogma and all religion. They’re spiritually inquisitive metaphysical explorers, ready to examine and experience the unknown. We believe our focused thoughts have the power to heal. We know our focused thoughts, particularly in groups, can change everything and anything and bring it back into wholeness.

Find the group intention that calls to you and join in and do the work.

To Sing a Deeper Song Consider:

The New Wave of Positive Purpose
The Emergence of Conscious Individual Spirituality
How Do You Put Your Spiritual lnsights to Work.
The Move From Inner to Outer Work
The Core Value of Inclusion

The Core Value of Inclusion

December 6, 2016 By Cara Lumen

President Obama used the phrase “core value of inclusion”. He said that a core value of inclusion was necessary for the President to have. I wondered what that looked like and felt like. I had never before considered inclusion as a core value.

What is the highest god for all?

When a group of people gathers to find an “inclusive” solution, it hopefully begins to seek a unified choice that will be for the highest good for all. That’s a pretty lofty place to begin any negotiation or search for a solution.

When I add “inclusion” to the process that is looking for the highest good, that means I need to really, really listen to what people are saying and to what they’re not saying.

Very often we have fears and outdated beliefs that are not even in our consciousness. We also need to question and examine the true reason for our own responses to each solution, particularly when our response is negative.

Groups have to compromise

The broader the group diversity, the wider the compromise must be. And no one, absolutely no one, will get everything they want. The necessity to compromise can be a very difficult mindset to take into a group endeavor.

What does inclusion feel like?

Inclusion means I have to move away from my own personal needs and look for a solution that’ll meet the needs of the majority of people in the group. Now, I don’t have to stay in the group, I am certainly free to go elsewhere, but inevitably we all find ourselves in a group where the final compromised decision will impact us in some way. Be aware that the compromised solution will be as close to agreement as the involved group can become.

Inclusion can feel like listening to others. It can feel like deep self-awareness — understanding what you need and want and prioritizing that so you know what you can release in the presence of inclusion and compromise. Inclusion will include thoughtful exploration of the possible solutions to the purpose of your group. Some for you. Some for me. Some for us.

What does inclusion look like?

If we’re lucky, inclusion looks like people listening to each other and trying hard to understand the other person’s point of view. Inclusion means we’ll need to change our mind, soften our stance and broaden our viewpoint.

I’ve never thought about having a core value of inclusion before. I’m afraid I’m the one who goes off by herself and hangs out with only like-minded people.

Community means the collective

“Community” means people who have something in common. It could be your city, your state, your neighborhood. When I’m hoping to formulate rules and regulations and support systems for my own community, I’ll have to compromise. There are many interconnected factors I may not even be aware of. Current finances, people-power, long-term impact. So many elements are impacted in any decision and must be considered.

I’ll have to look for the highest good, the best choices in the present moment and I’ll have to work to be aware of a core value of inclusion.

A national group has broader responsibilities than a city group. A residents association has a smaller set of responsibilities than the city. Each group will have a different set of problems to address but their overall purpose needs to be inclusive — taking into consideration the needs of everyone and then finding the choices that address the most needs and are focused on an over-reaching goal that will benefit the most people.

What does a core value of inclusion look like and feel like to you? Can you consciously put it to work in your life?

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:
I Am You
We Are Part of a Larger Spiritual Order
You Are All-That-Is
35—How to Hold the Space for Change.
23 – What Are the Truths You Live By?

What Do You Do When You Feel Stuck?

October 13, 2016 By Cara Lumen

When you’re depressed you feel stuck, unable to find your way out and, most of all, unwilling to even make an effort. You’re unwilling to change, unwilling to try something new, unwilling to look at possibilities. But you can get yourself out of depression simply by looking around.

How stuck are you?

Often the depression part comes when you feel stuck and have absolutely no idea what you want and need to get yourself unstuck. The not-knowing is so huge that you don’t even try. So how can you move out of that?

Remember that life moves in cycles

There’s no way you can stay stuck because the natural flow of life is in cycles. You’re always changing. Sometimes not happily so, but nevertheless you are always changing. So the good news is: however stuck you feel, however depressed you are, life is a moving process and it will change.

Identify the cause of your stuck-ness

Look to find what’s missing in your life. It may be encouragement, it may be a focus for your work, it may be some genuine downtime that you need for recuperation and regrouping.

I certainly have gone through periods of not-doing because my body had been pushed and truly needed to rest. Give yourself permission to goof off. Listen to those natural, organic reasons for feeling stuck, for not being willing to tackle anything new.

Wait for the cycle to change

I’m writing this now because I’m watching myself move through a period of unwillingness to do any of the things I could do. However, because I allow my life to unfold, I’m being patient with the cycle, this whatever-it-is.

And I don’t know what’s missing. I don’t know what steps to take to help myself move forward. What can I do, how shall I move forward when I really want to stand still?

My body will show me the way

I can wait for my inner wisdom to give me a sign as long as I don’t wallow in this whatever-it-is. That means I have to be willing to consider change, to consider next steps. To look closely at what and why I’m resisting.

Fear is not the cause of this stagnation. I just pushed my way through months of learning new programs that would take me to my next step.

Fatigue is not the cause. I’ve just taken it easy for the last few days.

Discouragement is not the cause. I have fabulous projects at various stages of completion. I’m on the right track and it’s working well.

Uncertainty about my direction is not the cause. I’m very clear about what I want to say, who I want to say it to and how I want to offer it to the people I serve.

Something is changing

There is some change happening deep within me and it simply needs some time. Something at my core is changing and it’s too subtle for me to recognize. It could be a need. It could be a new direction that hasn’t yet been made clear. Whatever is changing is still changing and it isn’t time for me yet to know what it is or what to do.

And so I wait.

I could go exploring

Even if I sit here like an owl, turning my head first one way and then the other, it only commits me to looking, not moving. You know how nature moves in cycles. There’s no particular date for a bud to bloom or a leaf to drop. Nature just hangs out in the moment and things happen. Could I be like nature and just be in the moment?

From my owl position I do not want to move. I’m full up of exploring new ideas, or digging deep within myself to find answers that I then share with others. Sitting here looking around is a big enough move for me right now.

What if this inability to move forward is not about what I have, but that it’s about what’s missing? How do I identify what’s missing – how do I start doing that?

The exploration for the missing piece

For me, the missing piece is interaction with more upbeat, interesting people who are passionately moving along their own paths. I already have a few such people in my life. Do I need more or do I simply need to interact more frequently with the ones that I have? Or is it simply time to wait for life to unfold – to evolve – to emerge?

Wait your way out of stuck-ness

I definitely have good stuff going on in my life. I love what I do, I share with people and I know when I make a difference. I’m using my skills and acquiring more.

But in this particular moment there’s stillness.

There’s waiting. There’s patience. There’s unclarity. And most of all there’s no need to do anything except watch.

Feel your way out of stuck-ness

The more I keep tuned into my own feelings, the more easily I’ll recognize the answer when it appears. The more I honor my own inner nudges and make it OK to read, or look out a window, or whatever seems to call to me, the more balanced I become and the more aligned with my passion and purpose.

Notice your rhythm

Maybe you’ve been pushing yourself too fast or too hard and suddenly you simply need to pause and regroup. The change in rhythm can be misconstrued as stuck-ness, when, in fact, it can simply be self-healing. Small changes in rhythm are absorbable. The large swings are more noticeable and can be misinterpreted as stuck-ness.

I will wait for the change to happen

But I won’t wait too long. There comes a point when a person has to cut bait – let it all go and just move forward. One foot in front of the other, one task completed, another begun.

When I start to move, even with the smallest of steps, I’ll acknowledge that particular victory. Even writing this article is a victory – I’m exploring what I think and feel about being stuck, about being dispirited and trying to figure a way to get myself to move forward. And I’m sharing what I discover with you.

Depressed means gloomy, glum, sad, unhappy, melancholy, dejected. Each one of those words is not something I want to be. And actually, I’m none of those. But I am a little off balance. I’m a little unmotivated. I have a lot of “I-don’t-want-to’s” showing up.

And so I wait

I make mind maps with pencil and paper to uncover my unconscious concerns and capture them in a form I can see. I wrote this post to figure out what I think. And I wait. I’m waiting for me to change just as my life continues to change.

And I trust

I trust the cycles. I trust my own evolution. I trust my perpetual enthusiasm, which seems to be taking a rest. I wait. And I act on whatever willingness comes up.

And let that lead me on to the next step.

And the next.

One step at a time. One small change at a time – back to happiness and fulfillment.

To Sind a Deeper Song Consider:

The Power in a Ceremony of Releasing
Live Like Water
Stoking the Fire Within
What if You Broke the Mold?
How Do You Define Success?
47 – Empower Your Feminine
45-How to Become a Mindful Presence

The Responsibility of an Artist

September 15, 2016 By Cara Lumen

Jennifer Lopez said the difference between a singer and an artist is that as an artist it’s her responsibility to share her lessons and experiences through her art.

Are you a singer or an artist?

For a long time in my career, I taught to others what I myself had been taught. Even the how-to books I wrote were my interpretation of what I had learned. And because those were mostly systems, there wasn’t much room for creativity – other than in the way I organized and presented them.

Yes, there was a certain amount of art in all that – the art of writing, the art of teaching. But it wasn’t until the personal process that led to the founding of the Deeper Song Community that I felt like I was being original. After all, who can describe how to sing a deeper song? You only know it if you do it.

How much of yourself do you share?

In my case, I probably share too much. But I’m on a quest to deepen my own spirituality and it’s an exciting one. So I share that. I’m also moving through the aging process and as I fight off the average idea of that, I share how I’m progressing. The phrase “translator of life experiences” has appeared in my consciousness.

Build a bridge

Taylor Swift shares a great deal of her personal journey. It’s passionate, and people resonate with her process. She sings about a circumstance and how she moved through it, sharing both the problem and the lesson. It touches hearts and offers lessons and insights.

We have to build that bridge. When we share our insights with others, we have to make the emotional connection to what we faced so that others can identify and connect with it also.

I heard Jennifer Lopez’s words on a very short interview moment on TV and they resonated deeply with me. I jotted down the words, raced to my computer, and here I am – talking about how we can make certain we share of ourselves in a manner that others can hear.

Steps to take

For me, the steps are first that a core idea shows up that calls to me. It can come from a line in a novel, a statement on TV, a webinar, even something I wrote myself. The connection is strong and the aspects I want to explore come on its heels. Then I write to figure out why I like it and how I might apply it in my life. Often it’s an answer I’ve been looking for as my life unfolds.

Write what you need to write but make certain you include a real-life reference that allows people to feel an emotional connection with the situation or problem that you address.

How much is too much?

I don’t have an answer to that. I’m writing so much content that comes from my natural curiosity that I’m slightly overwhelmed, as may be the people who read what I write.

I explore and share my observations on a variety of platforms. My exploration usually begins with a post. More frequently, however, an idea calls to be explored and I go straight to podcast outline mode where I can explore it and tell more stories about the solutions I find.

Share from your heart

When you share from your heart, you’ll touch the hearts of others. Allow your enthusiasm, your discoveries, your concerns to be a part of what you share with others.

The artist’s responsibility is to share their own understanding of life. Be an artist in everything you do.

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:
Share From Your Soul
Stoking the Fire Within
What if You Broke the Mold?
The Length of Your Reach
The Many Faces of Your Calling
40 – Who Do yo Want to Serve?
32 – How to See Your Work As Art

Share From Your Soul

September 13, 2016 By Cara Lumen

There’s a place within you that’s rich with wisdom. It’s filled with love, it knows and experiences the deep connection of everything. It’s oneness. It’s our soul. It’s our voice within. When we go there for guidance, for wisdom, for self-expression, we bring forth the purest sound, the clearest music, the most profound richness.

Go there.

How do we live within?

Your mind is far removed from your soul. It is thinking and processing and interpreting all the time. It keeps very busy.

Your soul simply is. It’s like a clear deep pool, willing to reflect its message to you when you just look.

You have to make time for silence

To hear the purity of your soul, you have to learn to pause before you act or speak in order to feel and know what’s at your core. It takes silence to hear the message of compassion, the clarity of purpose that resides deep within.

When you listen, you can hear

Interpret not with your mind but with your feelings, a deep knowingness that simply is. Then you simply are. You just are. Your presence is serene. Your gifts are rich. Your effect is far-reaching.

You are immersed in the “doing” when you share from your soul

Musicians who are lost in their music share from their soul. Writers who close their eyes and share from deep inside themselves share from their soul. People who act with an awareness of their innermost selves are sharing from their soul.

Simply be still and hear the message

Listen. Learn to interpret the stillness, the silence, the subtle nudges. Then interpret them in your life. When you share from your soul, there is a richness, a depth of essence that is profound and far-reaching.

Practice stillness, practice being

Begin your day with silent contemplation. Begin your work with a blessing that your soul goes out with everything you say and do throughout the day and touches the souls of those who receive your work.

Work consciously, mindfully and let yourself be guided by whatever shows up. Make choices in the moment – from your soul.

Consciously talk to you soul

Ask for guidance. Listen to the response. Follow your intuition. Use each moment to share a piece of your soul.

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:

36 – Engage the Power of Trust
35—How to Hold the Space for Change.
The Power of Your Personal Path
Return to the Simplicity of The Uncarved Block
The Power of Exploring the Unknown
21 – How to Share a Piece of Your Soul
22 – Create Your Own Spiritual Journey