Two Examples of Shakti's Bitter-Sweet Overtures

[Guest guest]

First - from a lady for whom Shakti erased an entire memory bank of self-inflicted labels, and replaced them with confronting questions and insights - her journey moving first from despair and wretchedness felt within the emptiness, to that of euphoria as she entered her transformation:Many thanks to Julia for allowing me to post this:As I struggle to become my parent's truth…I wither away and a part of me dies.As I struggle to become my lover's truth… I wither away and a part of me dies.As I struggle to become my children's truth …I wither away and a part of me dies.As I struggle to become society's truth… I wither away and a part of me dies.As I struggle to become this nation's truth… I wither away and a part of me dies.As I struggle to become the world's truth… I wither away and a part of me dies.As I struggle to become the universe's truth I collapse, and revel in my own self pity. I have lost everything that is important to me and all of my fears have been realized.I am broken.I am crumpled.I am in severe pain, yet I still am. In my mind, I go to this "person" who is me and ask `why?'Why did I feel the need to define myself?Why is it so important to see myself in the reflections of others?Whose approval am I truly seeking?As I ask these questions millions of faces pass before my eyes.People I recognize and people whom I have never met.I look upon them and realize that I have either been where they are or one day I may be.I see that I am not so special yet I am all that there is.This is a dichotomy that I try to wrap my mind around.In this I let the self fall to the wayside and know that we are all one.As I struggle to become my own truth…I surrender to the oneness and throw all that has seemed to be important to the wind.In my failure I find humility.In my lack of past or present I find the now.In my lack of better judgment I find opportunityIn my lack of memory I find wisdom. In my lack of empathy I find forgiveness.In my separation I find wholeness. In my emptiness I am full.And I realize how important it is to never look upon another and discount the things that they hold as truth "unworthy".We have all been there or may be there one day.I go to myself and really look at all the separation I have caused by being critical, beginning with my criticisms of myself.At first I cannot even really rest my eyes upon her for I am so ashamed.I have not loved her the way she needed to be loved.I find her shrouded in cloaks of deception and realize that she is protecting herself.Protecting herself from what, I wonder for she has lost everything already.Protecting herself from me.After peeling away the layers, I embrace her.In this effort, I accept myself, for all of my failures and for all the times I have been wrong.It is OK to be wrong.It is better to be wrong than to cut off a part of yourself and never let that part shine.In the middle of our embrace she looks me dead in the eye and I see unconditional love.I had never believed in it, yet here it is.It makes no sense but it is there.In my need to prove I am right I find that my ego has tricked me.I find that I am still connected to this ego.Where most egos would try to prove one superior, mine has used the people in my life to prove I am less or next to nothing.Yet, once I face this nothingness I find that I am whole.This is only a reflection of a need for approval and where my thoughts have been.I get up and turn my face back to the wind and the universe opens up to welcome me into the light.In losing everything I have gained an eternity and an understanding. Yet I know tomorrow there will be something else I do not understand.The next day I go about my business but things seem different.In my parent's eyes I see pride. In my lover's eyes I see understanding.In my children's eyes I see the future.In society's eyes I see the need to reach out and help those who are asking for it.In the nation's eyes I see the freedom to be who you are in the moment.In the world's eyes I see acceptance of diversity, for who are we to say one way is better than the next.In the universe's eyes I see the light within all and the potential that abounds is astounding.And I know without a doubt that each of us is where we are meant to be… and no one place is better than the other.   ==============================================================On a lighter note - from Shannon:The Friend Came to Ravish Me I want to keep it a secret that the Friend has entered meand pierced me in my wanting.This Friend seduced me into giving up my identitiesor at least the feeling of importance that "I" derives from them.This Friend got a foot in the door and walked on into my heart.It was not a romance like I expected.We flirted for years withLove letters and then conversations of the heart.We courted, and when I was still enough the Friend came round and took me in armsKissed me, and gave me a taste of the Beloved inhabiting me all alongand then The Friend left me there hot and bothered and wanting.Can't we move in together?Can't you stay here all the time and never leave?Won't you make continuous love? I went around stalking the Friend, not trusting the Beloved.I went looking for the Friend.I tried to manipulate the Friend into staying and making love to me.I so hungered for tastes of bliss! Then Love alighted at odd moments when I noticed the beauty of somethinglike a twisted tree's branches or a child's smile or the perfect sound of a note.The Friend seemed to become scarce when sought.Then I laughed and turned my back, playing hard to get.The Friend came running then! I noticed Love would stick around anytime there was peace, quiet.And flee when others were aroundI had to be alone for us to see one another.We have a secret love affair, the Friend and I.Nobody knows that I am being ravished by Loveof my own being, now sitting in waves of bliss. It is better that way that they just think I don't have much to say anymoreI have become more ordinary, a bit of a simpleton, The girl who lost her opinions,One who sits there happily secretly being ravished and made Love to in raw daylightin front of everyone, even her grandmother,which is enough to make you laugh when you think about it.Falling into fits of laughterabout nothingbecause everything is unspeakably joyousat this moment.And laughter doesn't need a reason to arise.courtesy of http://nonduality.com/hlhome.htm

[Guest guest]

lovely, just lovely, i love the last ones description.....lolthanks John x