Cara Lumen | Sing a Deeper Song

Sing a Deeper Song

world service

Too Much Information, Too Little Knowledge

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balance-2

Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?
-T.S. Eliot, “The Rock”

What do you truly know? What information have you absorbed enough to apply, reject or question?

It takes time and effort to sift through the flood of readily available information to figure out 1) what is true, 2) how it aligns with your core values and 3) if or how you want to take action.

What is true?

We have a responsibility to check the facts, particularly when it affects the well-being of our world. Identify a fact-checking source, bookmark it and run some of the things you hear through it. Find news sources you think are reliable. I love PBS News Hour for its thoughtful questions, rational discussions and in-depth reporting. I learn a lot. It educates me, expands my understanding and increases my empathy.

My practice is to write my interpretation of the situation or question in order to help me figure it out. I like to share my discoveries online. It may or may not resonate with you. That’s why we have choices. Follow people that inspire and motivate you and people who stretch your understanding of areas that call to you.

How does this information align with my core values?

Most people haven’t looked for or examined their core values. Core values are how you guide your life — honesty, kindness, empathy, exploration, inclusion, continued learning, spiritual expansion.

What’s important to you? What do you need more of? Where will you find it? From whom?

There are wonderfully thoughtful people on TED talks. There are also bloggers and podcasters who will inspire and motivate you. Listen, strengthen, expand and even question your core values to make certain they lead you where you want to go.

As I continue to embrace and expand my core values, I develop specific ideas in my work, try out new concepts, and seek new teachers. The idea for this article is based on a statement by an actor interviewed on the Stephen Colbert show that resonated and motivated me to explore. Allow inspiration to come from anywhere.

Be open. Remain curious. Question. Explore.

Is there an action I want or need to take?

Do you need to take action because of your expanded understanding? What would it be? Sometimes it’s enough to clarify the facts so that in the future your decision will be more clearly informed. More extensive information may change your mind, open up your thinking and offer new solutions.

My concern over US politics promoted me to explore the power of focused group energy and to become active in worldwide peace meditations. My State does not represent my political views but I still plan to write to my congressmen to ask them to be statesmen and Americans before they are a political party.

There’s power in numbers. There’s informed and knowledgeable action you can take. Take action and know that you make a difference.

How do you know what you don’t know?

I was deeply shocked to find that I was so unaware of the needs of so many people in my country. It was simply not in my experience to know what some people were going though. Now I find myself listening for ideas on how to train people for the new technology jobs and how education in general needs to change to prepare us all for the rapid changes in our world. I look for ways to protect our environment and to motivate others to do the same.

I take courses in what interests me. I read blogs that educate me. I listen to TED talks for motivation, inspiration and to make me think. And I watch for the nudges the universe provides that suggest a direction I should explore — either to clarify or to investigate an idea more thoroughly to see if it’s mine to do.

How deep is your knowledge?

If you’re really focused on a specific area of interest, you’re going to know a lot more about it than you do about areas that you have not explored. Know that. Identify resources you respect to keep you up to date with areas that resonate with you and keep moving deeper into your own area of expertise and thoughtfully share that.

Have you moved beyond mere information into owning it — into true knowledge?

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:
How Choosing the Right Word will Clarify your Choices
The Shedding of Your Skin
Accept Yourself as You Are
Mindfulness and the Moment
How Do You Define Success?
VLOG: Insights of a Deeper Song
PODCAST: Reflections of a Deeper Song

The Buck Stops Here

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The blame game that seems prevalent in US politics is wearing very, very thin. What happened to leaders who would say “The buck stops here” and “Whatever shows up is of my own doing”?

As I watch people in leadership positions set themselves in opposition rather than looking for a solution that will be the best for all of our country, I wonder how well I am taking responsibility for what I create around me.

We draw to us what we think

It’s a very powerful premise to know that what we focus on, we get more of. If I think bad things are going to happen, they will. If I look for the beauty in everything, that’s exactly what I’ll see.

It’s that simple. The buck stops here. I create my own reality by what I say and do, what I think about and what I expect to happen. We have great power over our own life.

What fills your world?

I’m working very hard not to be afraid. I have a tendency to feel helpless, and particularly at the effect of the beliefs and actions of people who seem to be in a position of power that are so non-aligned with mine.

It’s not a fear of change, it’s a fear of continued division and intolerance for our natural and powerful diversity. It’s a fear for the well-being of our environment. It’s a fear for the existence of our planet. Major stuff.

And I need to stop being fearful because it’s not what I want. I have to focus on inclusiveness and empathy. I can do that.

How do you change?

You change by shifting your focus. As I look for people focused on peace and oneness and environmental well-being, I find them —in droves — all over the world. And I know that by joining my energy with theirs to focus on what I want, collectively we have tremendous power to change our world.

Focus on the positive, not the negative. Don’t ignore the negative but use it to build your positive viewpoint.

As I failed to anticipate or understand the negativity that has emerged from the US political choices, I look very, very carefully, to make certain that somehow I can hold those negative and vengeful people in compassion. I’m working hard on that. It’s not easy.

I watch the bullying at Standing Rock and participate in group meditations and online activities. I read that global warming will create huge numbers of refugees in the coming years and I look at specific ways I can personally stop contributing to global warming. The next step will be to encourage others to do the same and more. Sometimes we simply do what we can and know that every bit helps.

Join energetically and mentally with others

Thanks to the internet, we can join with people all over the world in Earth Day meditations and World Peace meditations and Environmental meditations. Those of us who participate in consciously focused group energy do not make up a very large percentage of the population but we live all over the world and our collective energy has worldwide impact.

So, here I am, at 84, sitting in my apartment, sending energy in my daily practice, joining with activities on The Shift Network  and see if I can make the buck stop here. Can I take responsibility for everything in this world? Can I watch the refugees from wherever they’re fleeing, and hold their well-being in my thoughts and send them wholing energy in my daily energy work? Do I hold in my heart the belief that we, as energy workers, can see and salvage and even heal our planet?

We can’t pass it off to others. And we can’t do it all by ourselves. But we can mentally and energetically join with like-minded peace-keepers all over the world and shine our light on the path to give hope and guidance to those who are lost or less aware or even afraid.

You are a “light being.” Shine. Shine with empathy. Shine with knowledge. Shine as an example of what is possible when we each say, “The buck stops here.”

Change yourself. Change the world. Monitor your human participation and live more deeply from your inner universe of total connection with all.

To Sing a Deeper Song consider:
How Choosing the Right Word will Clarify your Choices
Why We Are Afraid of Change
Why Do You Believe What You Do?
Our Work in the World
How to Hold the Space for the New Vision to Emerge

VLOG: Insights of a Deeper Song

PODCAST: Reflections of a Deeper Song

Where Do You Plant Your Stake?

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plant flag on mooon

When you plant your stake in the ground, the universe responds. Where are you planting your stake?

A new stake is a signal that attracts

I took two courses that inspired me to create a new stake to plant. One took me into deeper inner work; the other showed me how to take this inner work out into the world to make a difference. I planted my stake. I want to make a conscious effort to heal and balance the earth.

The stake I planted was like an antenna

As ideas began to come to me, some vibrated more than others. Some I adapted. Some I acted upon. Others I ignored. I absorbed and adjusted and made my choices.

The realignment began to bubble outward. Since I’m a writer, I began to write. I wrote articles on activating a Tree Messenger and becoming an Armchair Activist.

When I was searching for how to help heal the world, I listened to a webinar from which I understood that we can heal our rifts when we look for what we have in common. I began to write about that.

Expand your territory

Now my mission is larger. It moved beyond me and my work. I am a messenger of sorts, an interpreter of ideas. An “idea magnet” who thinks up ways to apply what I learn. Although my path is not formed or firm, I stay open and circumstances show up to be explored. One seed grows many varieties and can adapt to many fields. I write. I share what I write. And as , the seed grows and grows.

Where have you planted your stake?

What are you invested in? What calls to you? What gifts are needed? Where do you want to do your work?

For several years my work has been about spiritual exploration on the inner plane. My inner plane, in particular. Suddenly my work has turned global. In simply responding to my own inner work, I’m using my gifts to inspire and motivate and suggest options to others.

My stake is still planted in spiritual expansion, but the garden has gotten bigger.

Look at what you’re invested in. Getting a promotion? Finishing school? Finding a soulmate?

Think bigger. Mark off a larger territory. You are needed!

I’m becoming more invested in harvesting my wisdom and understanding into signposts and maps for others who might choose to follow this way. And right now, my stake is in exploring ways to heal our planet and sharing what I find.

Is your stake planted in the right place

To Sing a Deeper Song Consider:

The Power of Positive Purpose
Our Work in the World
The Move From Inner to Outer Work
What if You Broke the Mold?
The Many Faces of Your Calling

Our Work in the World

By

heal world

Those of us who are spiritually active have very specific and powerful work to do. We have steadily worked to develop a highly conscious awareness. We look for spiritual guidance in the lessons of nature and embrace the on-going cycles of change. We understand our interconnection will everything. This inclusive consciousness gives us the ability and responsibility to promote and support positive change and we are greatly needed in the world of today.

At first I didn’t understand how I could help. I watched divisiveness and negativity and hatred erupt, even in countries that seemed more tolerant and accepting of individual expression. It shocked and dismayed me and I felt truly helpless.

Join with others to change the group consciousness

As I began to join groups of people from all over the world who came together to vision and meditate for a common cause, to focus their group energy on a higher outcome, I felt useful. I felt needed. And I did more.

I now understand the power we, as conscious, caring individuals, have to change our world. Those of us who work with the express purpose of helping the world to move into a higher consciousness, are expanders of consciousness, changers of the group energy.

This of us who are using our spirituality to heal and whole, are finding each other online and in person. As we combine our collective energy, we bring peace and harmony to others. Since our work is on the inner plane it may not be readily noticeable, but people will feel it and radiate more wholeness in their lives. Their light will ripple out and touch the hearts of others and the world will change and heal.

We energy workers are a small percentage of the population and there’s much work to do. Collectively we are very impactful.

We hold the vision

As spiritually aware and consciously active participants in our world, we are charged with holding a vision — a vision of inclusiveness, empathy, and active caring for the well-being of the whole planet, not just our own personal life experience.

We learn to move beyond ourselves to think bigger, to see the overview, to pull others up so they can see new possibilities. We believe that we can heal and whole our world by changing the group consciousness around what is possible. And that work begins with each of us and our daily, individual, active spiritual practice, whatever that looks like to you.

What is our purpose?

As healers of the planet, our purpose goes beyond our own lives. We have to hold the light for those who are not yet in the place of understanding that we are all one energy, that we are interconnected, that we are the same. Our purpose is to hold high a light of collective consciousness and show others the path to feeling and knowing and immersing themselves in the oneness that we are. We are leaders and explorers. We are way-showers. We are teachers, and guides. We are consciousness changers.

We do our work by actively and consciously focusing positive energy, both in our individual spiritual practice and in like-minded groups. Our personal energy work makes a major difference in the world, but when we gather together and focus on the same positive purpose, we more greatly affect the group consciousness and that leads to major positive change in our world.

Do your consciousness work – daily

Do some form of purposeful energy work every day. Meditation, prayer, affirmations, visioning, hands-on service. Shift your own consciousness to become more inclusive, more empathetic. Broaden your experience of the glorious diversity around you. Look for the gifts others bring. Learn from them Love them. Send your soul out into the world to heal and whole.

Do the work, daily. Focus on the well-being of the whole world or focus on a specific cause. Work with the knowledge that we are all one energy, one web of life. As you work, watch for change and become more aware of the power of your own focused and purposefully intention.

That’s our work in the world. To shine light in the dark corners and show others a higher path.

To Sing a Deeper Song Consider
The New Wave of possibility
The Power of Positive Pursue
How to Hold the Space for the New Vision to Emerge
The Emergence of Collective Individual Spirituality
How to Embrace our Differences
The Core Value of Inclusion
How to Activate a Tree Messenger to Send Your Healing Energy into the Word.

How About a Woman’s Political Party? The Party of Common Ground!

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woman and flag

What would a Woman’s Political Party look like? It would focus on nurturing. It would focus on empathy and inclusion. It would focus on peaceful co-existing and cooperation. What would a world look like in which there were conversations rather than wars in order to negotiate a peaceful solution? What if there were no egos struggling for power. What if?

I’d vote for that.

It’s not about the peace-seeking flower power of the 60’s. It’s not about the woman’s liberation movement of the 60’s and 70’s. It’s about the women we have become. The intelligent, wise, inclusive, empathetic feminine nature that cares for others, that safeguards others, that nurtures and supports.

But there’s another side to the feminine; there’s the Rainbow feminine, the one who is creative and pro-active, who leads and creates and motivates and inspires and, again, is inclusive.

What if our women took over our government? Became our duly elected leaders? What would that world look like? No Republicans and Democrats, only a party of wholeness, of statesmanship, of inclusion. There would not be two sides, we would seek to stand on common ground.

It’s exciting to consider.

The Party of Common Ground

What would it look like if there were no longer different sides of the aisle? What if a group of elected people got together and simply said, who is drawn to caring for the environment — go form a committee and figure out a solution and present it to us all. We will decide on action by building on our common ground.

What if the people who cared about the well-being of children gathered together to figure out common ground and common steps? What if we had a collection of women government officials who actually listened — not to the political “sides,” but to the problem and searched for a common solution?

What if the sole purpose of the elected representatives was to find common ground and then build from there? Of course that would mean compromise, but it would also mean collective action.

It would mean listening with our heart to the needs of the other person.

It would mean being flexible and open-minded.

It would mean being willing to change.

It would mean working with our intelligence to find a creative, innovative solution that addresses the constant changes on our planet home.

It would mean making space in our hearts for the phenomenal and beautiful diversity that is our nation.

It would mean having to listen, accept our differences, and work for the highest good of all.

Women have the power to elect our leaders

We are a majority here. But we would have to vote as one.

It doesn’t mean that men would not participate, they would, but the main responsibility rests with each of us, with our participation in our local government and our state governments and our federal government. This Party of Common Ground can be a unifier, an eraser of the divides. If we see ourselves as one party, we can work within that party for common ground, for universally positive answers.

What if the Women’s Party of Common Ground was world wide?

What if we collectively created a model of alignment that could be extended to the rest of the world? What if an international group of women came together and found common causes and agreement and took those ideas back to their country. This becomes a World Party. A Planetary Party.

Wow!

We have to move from “me” to “we.”

Where to start — our common concerns

Equality. Respect. Inclusion. Safety. Being able to support ourselves. Worker’s rights, reproductive rights, environmental justice, immigrant rights, sexual preference rights and ending violence against women. Safety for our children. Education for our children. Jobs and training for people of all skill levels and ages. It’s a diverse group of people with diverse needs. It’s a tall order. We must find the common ground and begin there.

What to include — our differences

When we look at an opposite view as an opportunity to learn, it changes how we see it. And, most importantly, in the Party of Common Ground we must agree to disagree and find the compromises necessary to move forward.

We MUST educate ourselves. We MUST examine our beliefs and question them. We MUST understand the other person’s point of view. We must be flexible. And we must be willing to CHANGE. This is not about “my way”, it’s about “our way.”

We must now take responsibility and lead.

How do we start a global political party that has begun with the world-wide marches?

To Sing a Deeper Song Consider:
How to Embrace our Differences
The Core Value of Inclusion
How Labels Dehumanize Us
The Creation of an Armchair Activist
How to Use our Interconnection to Heal the World