It's become a regular practice of mine to invite my angels to play. Meaning, I invite them to bring me signs of their presence, bits of guidance, and even little happy surprises for my day. And then comes the fun part - I notice them and say thank you.
The things I notice might be things that other people dismiss. But I've decided to take them personally, which is part of this practice.
For instance, we're on vacation at the beach this week. Every morning about 7:30 I walk to the ocean by myself and sit and enjoy just sitting, watching the waves, the sand crabs, and whatever comes my way. The waves come in, go out, stand out, then merge again into the larger body of water. They're a fantastic representation of the concept of flow.
During my morning beach time this week, I've seen dolphins - which I love. And every day, there have been more. That delights me!
I know I have a choice to think, "How nice. Dolphins. They're plentiful this time of year." Or, I can take it a step further and say, "Thank you, Angels, for bringing me this delightful gift of seeing a lot of dolphins, which I love." I choose to take it personally, just as if someone had given me a gift. Because it is.
Two days ago, I was having fun watching dragonflies zoom around me as I walked to the beach. I sent out a thought invitation to the dragonflies to come closer and visit as I sat on the sand. Within about a minute, a green-spotted dragonfly landed on my wrist and stayed for about 10 minutes. I admired the dragonfly, thanked him or her, and enjoyed the little gift of personal attention that I received. By the way, that's the only time the whole week that a dragonfly came that close, or landed on me or anyone in my family.
Think of it this way - if you really could use a little pick-me-up present, and then someone gives you one, you don't ignore it or dismiss it, do you? You express your delight, and say thank you. Otherwise, the giver might not be so inclined to bring you want you ask for next time, because it sure seems like you didn't really receive the gift - and it seems that maybe you're not so open to receiving after all.
If I ask for something, I figure I should be totally open to receiving it, rather than not really expecting anything, or even, too distracted to notice when I do. In fact, I'm not really "asking" as much as stating that I'm open to receiving. Asking comes from a place of lack or want. I am not interested in receiving more lack or want! I'm open to receiving a flow of blessings, wonderful surprises, and abundance from the Universe. I'm ready to offer the kind of assistance that's best for those who come to me for guidance, learning, or a Reiki session. I'm grateful to share the gifts and ideas I have to help make life better for others. That's how I live in the flow, as the ocean waves have been reminding me all week.
It's like a game, and it makes life more fun to play it this way.
I know people who see their life the opposite way. Something bad happens and they say that the Universe hates them, or that's what they get for trying, or something similarly self-defeating. They go around expecting the next shoe to drop, and so, guess what, it does. And then they feel justified, like the world just confirmed they are right about the way they understand their life. And, yep, they are. Why? Because they expected crap, and they got crap. That doesn't mean that they deserve any more crap than I do. But it does mean that the more you expect something, the more likely it is to happen, because you put all this mental energy into seeing the worst, and then put emotional energy (which is actually fear) into expecting the worst, so the Universe responds by manifesting what's expected.
Turn that around by expecting the best, and anticipating it with gratitude, and a little excitement, and notice what happens. Try practicing living in the flow, and taking the gifts that come personally.
If something happens that you don't want, or don't like, that's not a personal affront. Instead, it's a chance to be open to something better, an opportunity to learn, reflect, or motivation to try something new. It's a gift of another kind.
The waves come in, and go out. The tide moves the entire ocean further and back again. The tiny and massive ocean life are immersed in the motion of the flow. And for this week, so are we. My intention is to bring this lesson, and the energy of the ocean experience, back with me when we leave for home on Saturday.
Blessings.
