Lean Into The Edges Of Your Growth
Living Our Deeper Song
Ashe
(“Ah-Shay”)
The Creative in me honors the Creative in you!
Lean into the edges of your growth and trust what awaits you on the other side.
Are you asking enough of yourself? Are you exploring new paths? How are you leaning into the edges of your new growth?
I love the image of pushing forward and separating leaves to find a new facet within myself that I get to develop and share. What adventures await my discovery?
My major shift at 90 is to consider the possibility that I may have another 12-13 years on earth so I’m going to give more thought to what that can look like and what I want to accomplish.
How do I push the edges of my growth?
I expect to take more time to explore new concepts to see how I might work with them. This concept is an example. How do I lean into the edges of my new growth?
I’m thinking here…
I have to change my expectations of what is possible for me, for the world, for you.
I use my imagination. I’ve been using the phrase “Light Worker” for a number of years. I’m trusting that we learn to recognize the spiritual facets in ourselves and use our ability to turn and recognize similar qualities in others. We come together to join in a singular journey, to raise our own vibration, and hold our light higher so others recognize it in themselves and expand their work within.
We must continue to recognize and connect with other light workers and spiritual leaders in the world to expand our sphere of influence and become more creative. We have serious work to do.
Our Light Worker role will be individually defined and we must be on the alert for new doors that open and new roles to step into.
I could never have predicted that my new place of service would be with young professionals who are on the staff here. It is possible that sharing my view of aging and my expectations of our potential will resonate with someone else and they will lift their gaze.
How do you see yourself leaning into the edges of your growth?
DEEPER SONG AFFIRMATION
I look for and explore possible new roles for me as a light worker.
DEEPER SONG PROCESS
- The world is changing so rapidly. Do some exploring and find out what new place of service is beckoning to you.
- Explore and choose a new path to explore and embrace.
===INNER WORK===
Deepen Your Inner Awareness
Take Time In Your Spiritual Practice
I was moving through the motions. I was not thoughtful or connected. I was repeating a pattern and had misplaced its meaning.
Is your spiritual practice like that? What do you change in order to have a more meaningful inner experience?
I like the steps I take, I just have to make certain I am fully present when I do them and take time to experience them on a deeper level.
First of all, I’m going to slow down and take my time to fully experience the process. I may rearrange the order or spend more time on a particular facet. I want to make certain I meditate each day. I might change the order or spend more time on one particular facet. I could change my intention and focus for that particular session. I want to slow down enough to feel it, to experience it, to be moved by it.
My rhythm changes each day. If I wake up with an idea I want to explore, that seems to have to take priority until I capture it.
I like to do my ceremonial work first thing but there is no reason why I can’t spread it out during the day. I can no longer see the sun set but I used to play my flutes while I watched the sky change.
When I was in New York City in the 80’s, I temped at Estée Lauder for a while, and one of the many female Vice Presidents (a rarity at the time) simply stopped what she was doing at 4 o’clock each day to put her feet up and have a glass of Perrier. She was not to be disturbed. How wise to take a deliberate and complete pause each day to center yourself.
When I took Transcendental Meditation in the 70’s it was suggested that meditating when you first get home helps make a smoother transition. Perhaps sit in your car and meditate to change your energy before you move into personal time.
I would like to establish a closing ceremony for my day that will help me turn off my mind. I will go within for a period of re-centering, reflecting and replenishing.
How will you rearrange the time and content of your spiritual practice?
Add Sacred Singing To Your Spiritual Practice
As a young girl I sang in the church choir. I sang second alto in the girls’ quartet in high school. I took singing lessons at the local college where I got to sing in the chorus of the opera Carmen. I sang in many choral groups throughout the years so I found it very interesting that I have not added more singing to my current spiritual practice. I do sing and drum to the directions as part of my opening my day ceremony but I want to make this new form of singing spontaneous. I have no idea what that will be, I just very much like the intention.
It may be as simple as using my skin drum with its lovely resonance to set the tone. Or I might use my long rain stick and see what that sound prompts in my singing. When I sing to the directions, I sing songs I make up but I want this to be intuitive singing that is free-flowing and creatively in the moment. Perhaps I won’t use words, just tones. That would be freeing. I’ll just improvise and see what shows up.
How will you add sacred singing to your spiritual practice?
===SELF-HEALING===
Take Responsibility for Healing Yourself
How Do You Replenish Yourself?
Sometimes replenishing yourself is as easy as meditating or taking a nap. Other times it is much more involved. How do you actively replenish and nurture yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually?
===OUTER WORK===
Explore New Potential and Possibilities
Become An Objective Evaluator
Your first job may not be the best path for you but because you are in it, you keep on going. Right?
Are you open to change? What will that look like?
Periodically pause in your life and see if you really love what you are doing. Does it bring you satisfaction? Pride? New challenges? New opportunities? Is it meeting your financial needs? Do you have time to nurture your soul? What new interests have you developed that might call you in a new direction? Are you open to change?
One strong step in choosing a new path to explore is to find an objection evaluator – someone who knows you and can give you objective feedback about your strengths and weaknesses. Ask some of the people you respect and who know you to offer you feedback about how others see you.
Years ago, I kept an acknowledgement book in which I wrote down things that people said about me that surprised me because I had not been aware of that perception of me before. It helped me know myself better and sometimes it served as a morale booster.
Look back over the things you have done and examine what signs you have been given. I started writing for my high school paper as a sophomore and my senior year I was chosen to be Managing Editor because of my organizational skills. Those two skills have been called on constantly in my life.
I also know I am too assertive for some people and often move too fast so one of my leadership lessons has been to set a pace that brings everyone forward together.
Are you ready to move forward? Do you want to explore a new path? Find one or two objective observers to help you recognize the gifts that you have to offer.
What Makes You Feel Useful?
We often think of ourselves as being useful when we help someone do something. That may be physical, emotional mental or spiritual. This has been important to me because I’m currently the one getting all the help, so what am I giving back in my old age?
It’s important to feel useful but keep an eye out for the subtle ways you have impact. A staff member recently said to me, “I always learn something when I come in here.” We give to others in many ways we may not recognize.
We have two steps to take here. First perhaps make a list of how you help others. That will probably contain the obvious steps you take to help.
Now make a list of how you help others in more subtle ways. Look at the things you take for granted – preparing a meal, cleaning the energy in a room by your cheery presence. Spend some time win this list so that you can begin to identify the subtler ways you help others. It may be as simple as a cheery greeting to the school crossing guard as you walk your child to school. (Do people still do that?) Our very presence may lift someone’s spirits.
Be conscious of your interactions and the most subtle impact they have.
The Past Got Me To Today
Every choice we make has lasting impact. I would not be the person I am today with the specific gifts I have to offer if I had not made the choices I did along the way. Many of them were rather dramatic choices and they created powerful change and impact in my life.
I would not be where I am today if I had not listened to and acted upon my inner voice. I trusted my inner voice after my first major decision and for all three major cross-country decisions I made thereafter.
There are consequences to my journey that brought me to where I am today but I wouldn’t change a thing. My choices along my path got me to where I am today. I am grateful for the journey.
Changing Times
2023 is a year of a big shift, new opportunities and unfolding paths. The planets are aligned for new beginnings. What will you turn and do next?
I have identified a new direction and have begun to explore it. I have turned my back on what I have been doing and have turned to embrace my new path. I hope it asks me to go on new adventures and develop new skills and gain new knowledge. All of that is quite exciting.
Of course, as I change my direction, I get to leave behind beliefs that no longer serve me. Those very specifically include what I believe I deserve and what I believe is possible.
Changing direction also means leaving behind attitudes and beliefs and expectations and perhaps even friends that you have outgrown.
Since this is a time of a new beginning spurred on by the alignment of the planets, where will you turn to explore next?
===DEEPEN YOUR SPIRITUAL PRACTICE===
Self-Healing Spiritual Practice and Deepening Awareness of Our Cosmic Oneness
Peace Pole
I may be given a Peace Pole and even if it doesn’t happen, it has been meaningful for me to design it. I wrote:
“I have several requests about the purpose of the Peace Pole if your friend is willing to make me one. I want it to be focused on healing the environment. Gaia, Mother Earth. I like the color blue a lot. Elements that might be included are butterflies (for transformation) and the giraffe has been a power animal for me (overview) and I’m very drawn to bears. I have three small ones on my desk that I call “Intuition, Insight, and Imagination’. The spider is also symbolic for me because she builds her web from within and builds on what she finds around her. She also can’t see and so does everything by vibration.
I’m also aware of the potential and possibilities of space and I’m a little bit into the power of the planets in astrology. (I’m a Scorpio).
I actually picture a peaceful gradation from earth greens to sky blues. And I love the shape-shifting clouds of the mid-west.
As for size, if it were three feet tall, I would put it on the floor by the barrel chair on the side by the door so people would see it as they come in and ask about it. If there are words, they should be “We Are One.” It can also be table-size and I will put it on my dresser by the Himalayan salt lamp – 18” tops.”
I’m excited about this. It supports my goals: “I help Transformational Leaders deepen our relationship with the Unseen World and expand our role in the New Consciousness.”
I hope my friend’s friend makes it for me but even describing it has brought both my vision and my goal into greater focus.
What would you put on your peace pole?
===HOW TO BE A STRONG CONTRIBUTING MEMBER OF THE CIRCLE OF LIGHT BEARERS===
Expand Your Role in the Rapidly Evolving Universe
A New Paradigm Of Living
A paradigm is a pattern, a model or our life. It is time we rethink the one we are in. It is time to encourage a new paradigm of living, leading and creating.
Right now, we are struggling to find a balance between the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine. The Divine Masculine is not happy with the change and the Divine Feminine is coming into her own. We must learn to encompass the inclusive, loving, creative feminine along with the courage and strength of the masculine. Each of us contain feminine and masculine strengths. We just need to learn to cultivate both aspects in a positive and productive manner.
How do we do that? By becoming more aware of our own actions and choices. Take time to examine and contemplate why you are going in the direction you are going. Take time to explore new places of service to see if they are aligning with your new awareness and calling.
It is time to step into an entirely new paradigm of living, leading and creating. What will that look like for you?
What Is A Transformational Leader And Are You One?
Transform means to make a thorough change. We must change our thinking, our actions and our expectations. Part of what we, as Transformational Leaders, must do is expand what we envision as possible.
How do we do that? Can you envision the ice cap no longer melting? Can you envision a world population that enthusiastically embraces a mindful and active consciousness of walking softly on the planet?
We get what we focus on. Monitor your thoughts and intentions and begin to visualize the human population as aware, thoughtful and actively caring for the planet.
“I help Transformational Leaders deepen our relationship with the Unseen World and expand our role in the New Consciousness” – Cara Lumen
How Do We Deepen Our Relationship With The Unseen World?
We are little specks in the web of life. The Unseen World is vast and everywhere and in all things. And it is “unseen”. So how do we explore it? How do we access it? How do we use it?
We use our gifts of intuition and trust the nudges and insights we receive. We learn to interpret and translate them into our life choices. How do you listen to the unseen world?
I get intuitive nudges. The more I pay attention to the nudges, the clearer they become.
I take a Shamanic journey and interpret the metaphors that show up. I trust. I recently closed a meeting with an Affirmative Prayer that the participants said was powerful and gave them goose bumps and I remember nothing except saying I had not done an Affirmative Prayer for a long time. My mind was not involved, the Unseen Words took over and spoke through me. Trust the lessons and insights when that happens.
That part of the meeting was recorded. I will listen to see what I said.
“I help Transformational Leaders deepen our relationship with the Unseen World and expand our role in the New Consciousness.” – Cara Lumen
How Do We Expand Our Role in The New Consciousness?
First of all, I think our roles are changing and are in the process of being defined. When we listen to our intuition and our nudges, they will help us gradually develop a new role for ourselves. Part of our inner work will be to vision to clarify our new role. When we free ourselves from what we know and expect, there is room for expanded insights to appear.
“I help Transformational Leaders deepen our relationship with the Unseen World and expand our role in the New Consciousness.” Cara Lumen
===BROADEN YOUR HORIZON – EXPAND YOUR VIEW===
Raise Your Sights and Your Expectations
Lift Your Gaze
It has been interesting to raise my gaze from my own life and consciousness and experiences to focus on a greater vision and goal. It makes me feel more useful and more valuable as I go exploring to find my new place of service.
Lifting my gaze and raising my focus makes me feel like more of an adventurer, an explorer, a discoverer and trail blazer. I like that.
What happens when you raise your gaze? What do you see?
Live Above The Fray
It is really empowering to rise about the chaos of American politics and focus on the well-being of our planet. Of course I will keep an eye on politics because I will vote but only for freedom and democracy.
I’m not saying I’m giving up, but I am shifting my gaze. I don’t see my role as an activist. I see my role as a person with a strong imagination holding High Watch for this point in time.
How do you see your role and how will you fulfill it? How will you rise above the fray?
===OUR EVOLVING FUTURE===
Support and Encouragement for our Unfolding Role in the Future
What Is One Thing I Can Do That Will Help Heal The World?
Follow the light. Be aware of it in every act and every thing.
That means I have to shift my gaze and keep focused on the movement of energy around me. I must be aware of subtle shifts within the world around me.
What do I look for?
Let’s begin with our intuition. We must learn to listen to our inner voice. My inner voice speaks in both murmurs I have to interpret as well as full blown sentences. I always pay attention.
I have begun to establish a specific practice of sending energy to the people on the planet to open their hearts and make their choices for the highest good for all.
I will focus on the energy of oneness. People, animals, plants, sun, moon, rain, stars…we are to learn to feel our all-encompassing oneness and bring it to the forefront of our thoughts and actions.
Every thought, every choice, every action must be for the greater good, the highest good, the cosmic good. Our choices need to elevate our group consciousness.
I have to walk around this planet not just as an individual person, but as a Light Worker, a Light Leader, a Facilitator of Transformation. A Light Bearer. An Adventurer. A Way-Shower.
How do you see the role you are stepping into as a Light Leader within our world?
Caring for Gaia
The most important step we can take to care for Gaia – Mother Earth – is to raise our consciousness and monitor our personal footprint.
I no longer go to a grocery store but I have carried cloth bags since the 80’s. If I were living on my own, I would get solar panels for my apartment window.
How do you continue to soften your footprints on the planet?
===REFLECTIONS OF A DEEPER SONG PODCAST===
Expanding Awareness
Our Destiny and Self Responsibility
Listen to my
Reflections of a Deeper Song Podcast on
Apple / Spotify / Googleand the
Deeper Song Website
===CARA’S CORNER===
What Do You Want To Bring Into Your Life?
My good friend and Astrologer, Martha Lacy, told me that Aries has come into play and it is the time of new beginnings. I paused to give some thought to what I want to bring into my life.
Stop reading a moment and write down three things. Mine are wholeness, transcendental awareness and deeper service.
Now, I have no specific plans on how to do that – yet – but the seeds are planted and the journey has begun.
I do have a new focus: “I help Transformational Leaders deepen our relationship with the Unseen World and expand our role in the New Consciousness.” As yet I have no specifics in mind but that mission statement is raising my sights and my expectations and will ultimately change my direction.
When you change your goals, you are asking for change. Some of it may be uncomfortable, some exciting and some a tad unnerving but change is a good thing – it means we are growing and are deepening our life experience. What is your new vision for change?
===SING A DEEPER SONG ===
I Raise My Sights
I begin a new journey. An adventure. A new path.
I begin a new journey. An adventure. A new path. I do not know my destination. I only know that I am called.
I begin a new journey. An adventure. A new path.
I do not know my destination. I only know that I am called. I lift my gaze and take the path less traveled.
– Cara Lumen, April 2023
We create our future with every thought we think, every action we take. Move forward mindfully as you sing your Deeper Song.
Namaste,
Cara
Come Sing a Deeper Song
I help Transformational Leaders
deepen our relationship with the Unseen World
and expand our role in the New Consciousness
Please forward this newsletter to a friend and suggest they
Join the Deeper Song Community
Past Issues of this newsletter are being curated on my site on a page called Insights.
Our Global Deeper Song Community
Our Deeper Song Community extends throughout the planet. Welcome new Deeper Song Explorers. I’d love to hear of your experiences – caralumen@gmail.com or let’s discuss on the Deeper Song Explorers!
Subscribe to this weekly Deeper Song Newsletter at www.deepersong.com
