LIFE in the SLOW Lane

” One of the keys to sloth life is persistence – these travelers keep climbing in the superhighway of the treetops on a never-ending quest for tasty leaves and sunny spots. Their motto is “Don’t hurry, be happy!” Sloths don’t flinch nervously or react to noises, so they can truly chill out and enjoy the ride. And they can cover quite a bit of area: In the wild, slots roam a range the size of five soccer fields.” ~Life in the Sloth Lane  by Lucy Cooke pg. 42

Monday morning I was not experiencing life in any SLOW lane, even though I am convinced it should be that way.   I decided to write about my experience of trying to change my thought and therefore change my day. It has become so obvious to me in many circles, that the majority of people living in our midst have no idea that their thoughts can change their environment. Do you realize the power of your mind for changing daily life? I do now, but for far too many years, I had  NO IDEA! Can a few birds moving into my view change my day? Can a sloth give us wisdom in how to accomplish this?

“It’s all about the Journey.” As many of you know from my speaking and from our book, the sloth’s life has provided a platform for me to understand moving into understanding of expanded conscious living . I LOVED receiving a new book recently from my brother Bill, he knew I’d love it.  The title is: Life in the Sloth Lane: Slow Down and Smell the Hibiscus by Lucy Cooke. It is one of those small photo books full of sayings by famous people, and writings about the life of a sloth. Of course the photos were amazing, but for me it was reconnecting to seeing them in the wild of Peru and Costa Rica in my mind’s eye. I reconnected, especially with the tiny baby sloth I held when I somehow was in touch my soul and GOD.  In the book, I loved the pictures in the wild. I had to adjust to some obviously taken in a controlled setting. Were they tammed sloths in a zoo or sanctuary? But… isn’t that the same scenario for our life?  For sloths, the Wild is their true home. For us… our true HOME is with God and our spirit. In a controlled setting? Yes, that’s US…in our human body in this life on earth! WHAT an adjustment. We spend our whole life trying to figure out that we are spirits in a human body! And, oh, how that life in our bodies can be challenging! The tiny sloth I was holding in the Amazon was out of his home and I’m sure very uncomfortable in his controlled setting on that boat. ( Chapter 3 in The Light GAP: God’s Amazing Presence) And yes, you can chuckle at my hair-do in 1993.

This past weekend I had some very special family times and decided that I was going to relax and enjoy their company even though I needed to pack and be off to Seattle in two short days for the International  IANDS Conference. I am so blessed with amazing family. They feed that part of my soul of connection in ways that I hope every human being accesses. I don’t think they even realize their powerful influence on my life. We are all so diverse in our thinking and yet, ALL of us can totally share in the excitement FOR each other,  each step of our lives. I totally believe I am in a family that was put together for this lifetime to learn and grow from each other. LIFE is beautiful…even with ALL of our flaws, our trials, our heart-aches, our triumphs, and of course our tremendous LOVE of having fun!

As I was somehow letting anxiety move into my day about all the things I needed to do, I looked up from meditation to see a most unusual sight… a Kingfisher sitting on the chair by our sand. These are NOT common birds on our lake. I called my husband quickly to come watch with me. We were given quite a show seeing him dive into the water, fly around and come right back to the chair. Then one dive was successful and we sat watching him eat his fish. I “slowed” down to watch and observe. Then we saw a great blue heron walking on the edge of the lake near our neighbors! We loved it all. I never finished my meditation, but guess what? My anxiety was totally gone! I got so much accomplished in such a short time after that.  I’m  feeling calm, confident, and loved through the “life” around me.

I am very excited to be speaking with 80 other people in Seattle. By the time you read this blog I will be mingling with them, hearing their stories, and having incredible conversations, as all of them are speakers and authors. We will  spend time by our posters that will be displayed for all to see near the book store, where they can purchase our books! This is an incredible lifetime experience for me as a speaker. I already KNOW that I will be blessed beyond measure  hearing the life stories of some totally amazing people. When it’s my turn to share, you can be sure that I’ll be making full connection to my spirit for wisdom, helping me know the needs of the people sitting in front of me. My goal? It is to share my stories and insights, in full hope that my audience can recognize their OWN path.  I hope that they will put aside their fears as humans, and live their own authentic life fearlessly; in love and in the best possible health for themselves and ALL they encounter.

Can you help? I would LOVE your prayers of support on Saturday, Sept. 1 from 3:15- 4:15 especially…that is my time on stage! All of you are powerful and loving children of God…YOU can make a difference in MY life and of course lots of others! I will be working hard to stay present in every moment, making decisions about words that can help heal others and spread the high vibration of love.  I’ll be taking my own “sloth” approach as I speak, talk with others, and absorb incredible wisdom.

“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.”

~Amit Ray~   page 74 in Life in the Sloth Lane