Spiritual Expansion

How to Deepen Your Calling

February 4, 2016 By Cara Lumen

The more deeply I immerse myself in the direction of my calling, the more profound the ideas I discover. I’m allowing my calling to take me where it wants me to go and I continue to be amazed and thrilled with what shows up.

I never did my work this way before. I always had a plan. I was always in my head figuring out the steps we’re taught when we build a business.

But that’s not how I’m living my life right now. I’m going where my urges and intuition tell me to go. I’m taking my calling deeper and I have no idea where we are going.

To take your calling deeper, get out of your head

It’s a huge relief to allow myself to write about what calls to me. I explore concepts that resonate, that make me say, “Oh my!” Then I figure out ways to work that concept into my life.

I’m a writer. I know how to do editorial calendars. I know how to plan a series. But when I get out of my head and simply immerse myself in my calling, I make room for all sorts of ideas to bubble to the top. It’s very exciting. And elements of the process are new to me.

To take your calling deeper, let your heart guide you

Your inner self knows what to do next. I have a very strong inner awareness that identifies each concept that resonates. I race to my computer to capture the ideas and questions that are waiting for me. Responding to my inner urges also makes my work eclectic. I begin with the question and let the answer unfold.

Sometimes I can see a pattern. I make a list of ideas and write about them. Often it’s just one sentence that expresses a profound core idea that I might have no clue about how to add it to my life.

I immerse myself more deeply in an idea. I explore the idea from many directions. I try out different solutions. I trust that I’ll discover what I need to know next.

I uncover concepts and ideas that are very thought-provoking. I take my work deeper as I immerse myself in my intuition and respond to what shows up.

Your calling is about what you need to know

There’s always been a spiritual undertone to my work, but the primary urge right now has to do with the fact that I’m old. I’m a metaphysician and believe our thoughts create our reality.

So, how do I need to change my ideas of aging in order to change my life?

I need to make peace with dying. I need to make peace with a changing body. I’m harvesting my crops, taking stock of everything I know and ofall the skills I have to figure out what makes us a spiritual essence. I explore how we work with that and how we expand on that.

These are all things I need to understand and that’s where my calling takes me.

What do you need to understand next?

When I took my first play-writing course as a junior at the University of Kansas, the first instructions were to write about something you knew. I dropped out of the class because I didn’t think I knew anything.

Now I’m more aware. I’m more confident in my ability to see patterns and connections. And it’s sixty-five years later. But all that time, I’ve been working on those skills that create self-awareness

As a content development coach, I saw that one way to improve my own skill was to teach, as the preparation always took me deeper into the topic. I taught what I needed to learn. Whatever the topic, teaching created a permanent improvement around that particular skill set.

Your calling is about what you need to know next. What you need to learn. You serve the people who will teach you.

I’m exploring my essence – whatever that turns out to be for me. The more I give myself over to this journey of introspection and discovery, the more unexpected and profound are the answers I find.

Take your calling deeper by learning a new lesson.

Let your calling unfold

Watch what shows up. Simply be aware. Look at the idea or circumstance and feel how it fits with the direction in which you feel called to go.

The more I explore a core concept, the more deeply I understand it. And the more ways I find to apply it to my life. I examine. I test. I experience.

It’s only recently when I noticed how relevant some of my posts are that I saw what I was doing: letting my life unfold. Responding to what shows up. Following my calling.

Ditch the plans

Once in a while, I try to make plans. I’ll design a course, write an ebook, or take some further step to define what I’m doing. But I’ve discovered that the best way to stay true to your calling is to drop the plans. Just keep exploring. Follow your instincts. Follow your passion. Simply allow your calling to take you deeper and deeper.

That’s where the magic lies!

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:

20 – Why Are You In Service?
21 – How to Share a Piece of Your Soul
17 – Exploring The Village of Nothingness
18- How Your Light Illuminates Paths of Darkness
10– What Will Change Because Of What You Are About To Do?
We Are Part of a Larger Spiritual Order
You Are All-That-Is
I Am You
How Are You Harvesting Your Crop?
What Message Are You Modeling?
Are You a Gift Person
What is Your Personal Promise?

Sign up for our FREE Weekly
DEEPER SONG PROCESS
JOIN THE DEEPER SONG COMMUNITY

How to Cultivate the Power of Simplicity

February 2, 2016 By Cara Lumen

A simple life is mindful. It’s meaningful because you notice the beauty in the details, in the basics, in the moment. To cultivate the power of simplicity you need to observe, absorb and assimilate. Then simplicity becomes an integral part of your life.

The little leaf that could

Years ago, I sat at the edge of a sandpile in Central Park in New York City. On the ground I saw an inch-high sprout with two broad leaves emerging energetically from the sand.

Looking upward, I noticed that I was sitting beneath a giant tree – very old, very wise – which had dropped the seedling in a place it could grow. I got the message.

We are each “dropped” from Tao, the All-That-Is, in a place in which we may grow. I’m not sure the sprout at the edge of the sandpile in Central Park made it for very much longer, but I’ve been lucky to be planted in places in which I can grow, if not thrive.

For me, the power of simplicity can be observed in our relationships with our natural surroundings.

The clouds have a mission

I love the clouds in the Midwest. They’re expressive and dynamic. Their simplicity offers meaningful life lessons. Clouds float. They change shape. Sometimes they carry rain, sometimes they just lounge around in the sky. What a powerful lesson that is – to just allow life to unfold. Just be where you are, do whatever shows up to do, and float through the afternoon.

The wind sings a song

Do you listen to the wind when you walk outside? Sometimes it truly whistles in your ears. Sometimes it brings tears to your eyes. Other times it cools your cheek or rearranges your hair.
That’s a lot for a simple breeze to do. There’s a lot of power in simply showing up.

The night is never silent

And there’s great power in the night. A whole group of animals actively go about their life at night. Insects make cheerful noises. The moon illuminates the landscape. And there you are – simply sitting in the night, listening and feeling and being a part of nature.

Nature is the clue to understanding simplicity

Birds’ feet are adapted so they can hang onto a branch. Animals’ teeth have certain shapes depending on the animals’ diet. Rivers calmly nurture growth along their banks, or spill madly over into the surrounding territory. The cause of flooding is too much rain too rapidly.

Is “not too much” the key to using nature as our guideline to simplicity?

Notice the little things

I think simplicity and mindfulness walk hand in hand. If you see too much, release something. It may be an idea or an object. When you make self-aware choices, you keep close to you the things that are meaningful, that inspire you, that encourage you to move forward or keep going.

Self-aware mindfulness allows you to appreciate the beauty and simplicity and significance of every bite, of each step, of the hug you just exchanged. It’s easy to overlook the power of simple things.

Possessions are not your life

We trade off too much for possessions – our time, our talent, our energy. I watched when, even though she had young children at home, the wife in one household went to work full time in order to move into a yet bigger house. I see the compulsion to own more and newer gadgets. It’s the trade-offs that are made that need to be monitored

There is contentment in simplicity

I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of things in my life, which is possibly why I can see an opportunity and say, “I did that – or at least a version of that.” I don’t have to do it again – unless it’s something aligned with my passion.

I downsized three times in three years. I’m content where I am now, although I admit I still have too much stuff. The more I release, the more usable space I have. Simple is good.

Notice the little things

I take time to savor the warm body of the cat in my lap and the purring that periodically rumbles through it. I stop my work to listen to the sound of rain beating against my window while I’m warm and cozy indoors. The sunset that is so beautiful that it deserves all of my attention – and gets it. The voices coming from outside in the hall when two friends meet make me smile.

There is peace in simplicity

Sit silently and just “be”. Give yourself time to quieten your thoughts, relax your body and begin to listen. Appreciate where you are – how safe you are, how secure you are. Appreciate your part in achieving this place in your life. Give gratitude for your well-being.

Take steps toward simplicity

There are physical steps to simplicity, like taking out more than you bring in, but I’m speaking of a simple life – a life of mindful self-awareness where much is appreciated.

You have to become more self-aware. You have to take time to appreciate something as small as a seedling in a sandbox. And you want to learn the life lessons that nature offers in her ongoing, never-ending, always-changing cycles.

Go with the flow of nature. Let life come to you. Shape things as they come. Be self-aware. Deepen your spiritual awareness. Choose in the moment of now.

Life is simple – take one step at a time, one choice at a time.

You can do that!

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:

How to Plan in Unfolding Cycles
26-Are You Selfish, Self-Aware or Self-Absorbed?
12- How To Nurture Yourself if You are a Rock
17 – Exploring The Village of Nothingness
We Are Part of a Larger Spiritual Order
You Are All-That-Is
Eliminate the Unnecessary
What Message Are You Modeling?
How Do You Nourish Your Roots

Join the Deeper Song Community
Receive our FREE Weekly DEEPER SONG PROCESS

Take the Path to Trust

January 7, 2016 By Cara Lumen

When you learn to trust certain aspects of life, the relief is enormous. There’s no worry, no anticipation. I’ll tell you about three areas in particular where you can learn to trust more deeply.

Trust is one of the “power words” I chose for this year. I chose it because I often find it hard to believe the kind, complimentary things people say about me.

Do you have that problem? It’s easy to have such a strong disbelief in your own abilities that nothing others say or do, no reflection that shows up, can make its way into your heart. Until you practice letting it in.

Trust in your own ability

We all want to count, we all want to make a difference, and we all want to feel valuable. The trick is to watch for the small ways in which we have impact and collect them until we have a large enough pile to believe in.

I have made a list. I write down all the nice things people say about me: the compliments, the acknowledgements, even the requests for service that make me feel helpful. Periodically, I have to do a “truth check” to see if I can really accept that, for some people, I really am all those great things. Then I look for any bits of negative feedback I start to give myself and replace them with all this positive reflection I have received.

Trust you can handle whatever shows up

Trust is huge for me, because I have an eye disorder called dry macular degeneration, and I have all sorts of worry around how that will impact my ability to do the things I love – like write and podcast – and yes, the freedom to drive my car.

But deep down, I know I can handle whatever shows up. I may not want to, I may hope it doesn’t happen, but I’ll learn braille if I have to. Nowadays, there are audio books and ways to dictate what you want to write. It doesn’t mean it will necessarily be easy, but I have to trust that I can handle whatever shows up. And soo far, I have.

Trust the perfect opportunities to appear

As I’m big on letting my life unfold, I’m getting better at trusting what shows up and I’m learning to simply shape those things as they appear. The great part about unfolding is the adventures you get to go on – things you’d never have thought of for yourself.

The perfect people will show up.

I love philosophical conversations and these aren’t as prevalent as I’d like them to be. But looking back I realize that just when I really, really, want a meaningful conversation, one shows up.

Sometimes you get help you didn’t expect.

Being an “overview” person rather than a “detail” person, I don’t edit or proofread my own work well. This year, a member of the Deeper Song Community offered to proof my work for me as a gift! What a relief! It’s not a skill I have and I keep having to use larger fonts in order to see my work.

When I shared that with another Deeper Song Community member who has been encouraging me around technical things, he said he was an English major and would also help! These two persons saw a need and stepped in. I gratefully accepted.

My biggest lesson is to trust the future. What really matters is now, this moment – what I choose to do, how I do it, what I decide not to do. The rest will simply unfold – organically, naturally, in the perfect time.

Trust life to unfold – perfectly.

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:

We Are Part of a Larger Spiritual Order
You Are All-That-Is
I Am You
Is it Selfish To Take Care Of Yourself First?
Unfolding and the Big Bouder
Where Do You Find the Support You Need?
What to Do When You Feel Disheartened
06– Unfolding And The Art Of Wu Wei
17 – Exploring The Village of Nothingness
18- How Your Light Illuminates Paths of Darkness
21 – How to Share a Piece of Your Soul
22 – Create Your Own Spiritual Journey
23 – What Are the Truths You Live By?

Deeper Song Melodies from 2015

December 31, 2015 By Cara Lumen

I want to sing a deeper song.

I want to help others sing a deeper song.

My calling is to delve into the meaning of life and share what I discover. My place of service is with the online Deeper Song Community where I help others interpret, absorb and thoughtfully apply concepts that encourage a deeper, richer, more profound life experience.

To sing a deeper song I explore three major areas: Self-awareness, Spiritual Expansion and Service.

As I allow my life to unfold, I observe what shows up and simply shape things as they come. I share what I discover though posts, podcasts, videos, courses and ebooks. Here are some meaningful ideas I shared this year.

SELF AWARENESS
Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world.
Today I am wise, so I am changing myself. – Rumi

Self-awareness is the key to positive change. The more we understand our wants and wishes, our needs and desires, our talent and calling, the more aligned are our choices. Here are some thoughts on how you can become more self-aware.
04–How to Redefine Yourself and the 30 Year Plan (podcast)
07- How to Find and Express Your Distinctive Voice (podcast)
What is Your Personal Promise?
Do You Know How Much You Have Going For You?
24-How Not Fitting In Helps Your Be Extraordinary (podcast)
How Are You Harvesting Your Crop?
Do You Know How You Create Impact
What Message Are You Modeling?

SPIRITUAL EXPANSION
“Live in the nowhere you that came from,
even though you have an address here. – Rumi”

Spiritual expansion is a very personal journey that brings you balance and serenity. Here are some ideas on spiritual awareness that I explored this past year.
We Are Part of a Larger Spiritual Order
You Are All-That-Is
I Am You
21 – How to Share a Piece of Your Soul (podcast)
17 – Exploring The Village of Nothingness (podacast)
18- How Your Light Illuminates Paths of Darkness (podcast)
Return to the Simplicity of The Uncarved Block

SERVICE
When you do things from the soul, the river itself moves through you. Freshness and a deep joy are signs of the current. – Rumi

Service is when we walk along side someone and shed our light on their path. Deepening your service increases your self-awareness and contributes to your own spiritual expansion. Here are some thoughts on moving more purposefully into service.

How to Walk Beside Someone in Service
Is it Selfish To Take Care Of Yourself First?
20 – Why Are You in Service? (podcast)
10– What Will Change Because Of What You Are About To Do? (podcast)
06– Unfolding And The Art Of Wu Wei (podcast)
How Wide Do You Live Your Life?
Take Money Out of the Equation
Your Work as You

Do not follow where the path may lead,
go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. Emerson

If these ideas and concepts appeal to you,
I invite you to join the  Deeper Song Community and

Come Sing a Deeper Song

Winter Solstice as a Turning Point

December 15, 2015 By Cara Lumen

Long before there was Black Friday and Christmas savings accounts, there was the pagan celebration of winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. It is the turning point when the sun begins to return and the days grow longer.

Many of the traditions now associated with December filtered down through the centuries from nature-based communities and indigenous people. I decided to find my own quiet way to observe this turning point in the natural cycle of life.

I am fascinated by the concept of cycles – life moving in cycles that have a beginning, middle and end; cycles that are ongoing and ever-present.

In Celebrate the Solstice, Richard Heinberg writes that “wisdom consists in knowing one’s place in any given cycle, and what kinds of action (or restraint of action) are appropriate for that phase.”

The origins of the winter solstice celebration can be traced back to the yin and yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. The winter solstice marks the beginning of days with longer daylight hours and therefore an increase in positive energy flowing in.

The winter solstice is a turning point, an opportunity to contemplate, observe change and make decisions for the coming season. I want to prepare for more positive energy. I want to let go of the stale and make room for the fresh. I want to create a winter solstice celebration that feeds my soul.

Create a space for your celebration

The winter solstice is a cycle of nature, a reminder of birth and death, growing and waning. Where would you like to be for your winter solstice celebration? Where would be a meaningful place?
A walk in nature would be good, depending on the climate. Listening to the sounds of nature, feeling the texture of the air on your skin, feeling the call of nature around you.

I’m going to make an altar – one containing items from nature that remind me of the constantly changing cycles and the natural ebb and flow of life. I honor the need of a cycle, the hibernation, the tucking in to replenish myself.

I have feathers that birds have dropped in my garden. I honor their freedom and ability to fly.

I may add some of the loose hair I comb from my cat in celebration of the companionship and affection we share.

I work with the energy of rocks and crystals every day. Their energy nurtures and balances me. I will select those that further the goals of my winter solstice ceremony.

An altar needs light – for expectation, reassurance and hope. I’ll use candles, light box crystals, essential oils, whatever calls to me.

Treasured words that offer guidance will be on my altar, words from me, from an author I admire, feedback that guides my path, ideas that touch my heart and make me think. Choose meaningful items of renewal for your winter solstice celebration

This is a celebration of the end of the dark night of withdrawal and the beginning of an expanding period of light. What will you put on your winter solstice altar?

Set goals for your winter solstice celebration

My three goals are – review, re-choose and reposition.

Review the past year

I began reviewing my year as early as November because that is the month of my birthday and a natural time of reflection for me.

Whether I use a mind map or a journal or a chart on my computer, I will reflect on the past year and seek to understand its lessons. I will observe how I’ve changed, what I’ve learned, and what new opportunities have presented themselves.

It helps to acknowledge what I accomplished, and make new choices based on what I now know.

Re-choose

I’m not going to keep a lot of stuff from the past year. This is like moving, you are creating a new home for the coming year. What do you what to take with you and what are you willing to leave behind?

What do I need to release? Beliefs that no longer serve me. Friend who are not moving in the same direction as me. Habits that are detrimental to my health or well-being. So, list what would be good to leave behind, examine your willingness to do so and release as much as you can.

What do I need to replenish? From this moment in time, what do you need more of? I had to find an entire new tribe in the past year. I need to find more sources of philosophical conversations and discussions. I need to up level my self-care program. How can I achieve better balance?

What do you need to release, replenish and re-choose?

Reposition

A whole new year lies ahead. You are different now from who you were this time last year. You have changed, you know more, you have experienced more, your calling has deepened as you went exploring. How do you want to reposition yourself and what will that look and feel like?

I have chosen my three guiding words for the coming year. I have modified my mission statement and rewritten my bio to more clearly define myself. I am not making specific plans, I am making myself more receptive and flexible and responsive to what shows up.

Consider silence

What if I spent the day in silence, listening, feeling, thinking, observing? That would help me attune my senses to the subtle changes and cycles within myself.

Consider ceremony

How will I celebrate this change in this cycle of nature? The upcoming changes in me? How will I prepare myself, open myself, make myself aware that this is a day of change and renewal?

Perhaps I mindfully prepare a healthy meal and eat it in silence and gratitude.
I may chant or sing or read words that have special meaning to me.
I could vision.
I will meditate.
I will probably mind map.
I may write a poem.
I could share the ceremony with a friend.
I may get up at sunrise or look up the exact moment the solstice changes and match my ceremony with the clock. I may just hold my ceremony when I feel it’s time.

Look upon the winter solstice as a turning point

Whenever, however, I honor the day of the winter solstice around the 21st of December, I want to use it to move more deeply into my feelings of being filled with Tao, Spirit, the All That Is. It is an opportunity to appreciate what I have received, open myself to a deeper understanding of my passion and my purpose, to be more present and flexible, and teach myself to be more open to the unfolding opportunities that will appear in the coming year.

How will you make the winter solstice into a turning point for you?

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:

My Three Words for 2015

Are You a Gift Person

What is Your Personal Promise?

20 – Why Are You In Service?

04–How to Redefine Yourself and the 30 Year Plan

10– What Will Change Because Of What You Are About To Do?

21 – How to Share a Piece of Your Soul

22 – Create Your Own Spiritual Journey

23 – What Are the Truths You Live By?