Fireworks

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Fireworks have different meanings and emotions associated with it according to the different times of their use... And then, according to culture, they are used at different times.

In its purest meaning fireworks are a device containing gunpowder and other combustible chemicals that causes a spectacular explosion when ignited, used typically for display or in celebrations.
In the U.S. they are typically set off on Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July. Out here the time for fireworks is New Years Eve.

Traditionally, loud noises were used to scare the ‘evil spirits’ away from the celebration ~ whatever it was that was celebrated. Although the milestones in life that were most important to celebrate ~ like births, deaths (funerals); but also weddings, and new beginnings ~  were most likely to be accompanied with loud noises.

With fireworks then the emphasis changed somewhat from the noise-aspect to a more visual display. And being outside to watch the wonderfully colored stars erupt from the exploding arrows ~ high up in the nightly sky ~ is a fantastic and joyful display. A true welcome of a new beginning at the start of a new year! And those that are watching will almost always ‘oooh’ and ‘ahhhhh’ the fireworks...

This opposed to the fireworks that are being set off unexpectedly during the days and nights that lead up to the celebration. These often illegal fireworks set off at unlawful times spark an annoyance that seems to grow with every loud and sudden bang!

‘Fireworks’ are also use to describe an emotionally explosive situation. Either in a sometimes sugar-sweet, romantic way: “They looked into each other’s eyes and starry fireworks seemed to light up the room...” Or to describe an argument that leaves sparks flying around the room.

The thing that stays the same no matter what the use of the word, or the purpose of the aesthetic  pyrotechnic devices ~ is their explosive nature.

And perhaps that is why we like to use them so much at our celebrations! Besides the traditional ‘warding off of evil’ they transform into something entirely new and different with a bang!
Just like our celebration brings us from the old into the new...

Another part of fireworks that seems to stay the same no matter what is the thick, stale scent they leave behind in the air when everything is over and the calm returns ~ together with a foggy substance caused by all the gunpowder explosions.

And then, the next day, when everything is cleaned up ~ that is the time when the new situation, or even the new year, has truly begun...
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Family and friends

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While most of us appreciate spending time with our families ~ especially during holidays ~ it does seem to carry with it some ‘mixed feelings’... again, for most of us...
On average those ‘mixed feelings’ are quite innocent; like ‘I hope uncle will not start telling those old jokes again ~ like he does every year’.

There are also instances when this dedicated family-time brings out grumbles and grudges that sometimes have been simmering for years. And every time in the past there may have been a consensus to not talk about ‘those things’ ~ until finally that time arrives  when it is brought up. And hardly ever is the issue itself brought to the table ~ more often than not it starts off with something like: ‘But you always - - - Remember 15 years ago when - - -’
And there you have it. What started as a nice family dinner may end with heated arguments.

Interestingly enough we are far more willing to talk about things that have happened of which we perhaps didn’t like how others reacted to ~ if those others are friends... And if we decide we are not going to bring it up, this may be because in the grand scheme of things it wasn’t all that important ~ or because it has cause damage beyond repair to the friendship, and we allow the ‘friend’ in question to drop out of our lives. We ‘unfriend’ them.

Friends are those we have chosen to build a friendship with, and we can choose to end that friendship if there is a reason that is important enough to do so.

Family is different.
We are born into a family. And while ~ from a spiritual perspective ~ we have likely chosen our parents; this is not necessarily the case for the other members of our family: our aunts, uncles, etc. And we certainly haven’t chosen the partners of our siblings ~ and rightfully so!
So if we bring the whole family together, it would be normal that there would be some family members you like and get along with great ~ while other members of the family don’t resonate with you quite as much ~ or in some cases not at all...

The fact that they are family is no guarantee for getting along with them ~ or for them to get along with you. And while this is something that we might readily accept as being the case when we are talking about co-workers or fellow students ~ when we are talking about family members it is different. It seems we somehow expect to all get along, to all enjoy the same things ~ and even when we don’t, to be gracious enough to let it be.
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Letting go...

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Looking at our lives there are every once in a while those things we would like to let go of. If only we knew when the right moment is to actually take steps to do so. The right situation, the right timing ~ and the right prospect of what life will look like after we have let go of whatever it is we no longer want or need in our lives.

And there is our excuse...
Because it is not quite the right situation. Because, if it were the right time, wouldn’t there be a sign? Wouldn’t you know it? That this is the time to let it go? And what if you would find out in a couple of weeks or months that you have let go of it too early? That you discover you still need it?
Perhaps it is better to wait until we are sure letting go really is the right thing to do...

Often the things that nudge us into action on letting go of the things we no longer need or want in our lives are ~ in a sense ~ milestones. Like a graduation; a wedding, or sometimes something more dramatic like for instance an accident. It is at those times in our lives that we have a tendency to re-evaluate what we wan tout of our lives and how we are going about getting it. And with it then comes the desire to let go of those things that don’t grow corn for us anymore.

But does that mean that we need to wait for a milestone like that to come along in our lives in order to let go? Not necessarily.

One could argue the point that in the second part of Fall, after the harvest, is a good time to observe our lives; to be grateful for what we have accomplished and to let go of the things we no longer need to carry along with us in to the next season.
Others might say that the time between the Winter Solstice and New Years day is the best time to ponder what is happening in our lives ~ to contemplate our needs and desires ~ and to let go of the old as we are planning for the new.

However, in the ever higher energy frequency of this point in time once or twice in a year might not be often enough to have the opportunity to let go. So for those of us who want to release things more often ~ the cycle of the moon provides us with a chance to do so every four weeks. The last week before the new moon ~ when all things new start again ~ is a good time to to clear out those things from our lives we no longer need...
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Getting ready for a new start...

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With the Winter solstice approaching, the energy of new things, new beginnings is growing stronger...
That makes this a good time of the year to look back at what we have accomplished over the past 12 months. To see what has come into our lives; what has moved out of our lives; what changes we have made... That goes for jobs, things like cars, houses, computers, etc. as well as for people.

It is often surprising, when we really take time to observe those type of things, how many things may have changed ~ even things that a year ago didn’t seem to have either a need for change or the proper movement or flow to get to a different place in our lives.
And at the same time it can be as astonishing how things we were certain we were going to do or change this year ~ haven’t moved an inch.
Looking at our lives like that, this is the time for being grateful for the things we have gained, the things we have accomplished.

In addition this is a good time to clean up loose ends; both figuratively as well as physically. To stop thinking about the things we really want to clean up ~ or even get rid of ~ and to actually do them. That way we can start in the new energy, the energy of ‘the return of the light’, fresh.
Making is a true ‘new beginning’.

Then having looked back and created a space in our lives for new things to get started, this is also a great time of the year to look forward. To plan what we want to do, to achieve in the coming year. And to set up a structure within which we can work toward those goals. To give ourselves the best possible chance at being successful at bringing the things we truly desire ~ into our lives.

In what way we ensure ourselves having enough structure to maximize our chances for success in reaching our goals is different. It depends on the specific goals we have set for ourselves as well as what type of support or structure we, as a unique individual, thrive on.
Here are a few tips:

• Don’t try and go it alone ~ talk about it with your friends or family.
• Sign up for a class or course that will help you further your goals.
• Write your goals on a card and put it in a place where you will see it regularly.
• And most of all: don’t doubt for a minute that you can do anything you truly want to accomplish!

That way the ‘return of the light’ can help you do great things!
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Energy, again...

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On one hand we can use our energy freely and abundantly ~ on the other hand it is always a good idea to not waste our energy, and to be careful not to spend more than we have.
To take time and put in some effort to replenish our energy.

So what energy do we feed our own personal energy with? What is the fuel for our vitality? And is any fuel the right fuel to bring our energy level back to where we want it to be?

When we spend a lot of energy, one might think that the right ‘fuel’ is food with lots of calories. After all, calories are what we use to measure energy. On top of that, those are usually the foods that make us feel good as well ~ they are often what we have come to describe as ‘comfort foods’. And as they have this ability to make us feel good, we have a tendency to choose exactly those foods to fuel our energy with.

Unfortunately, those foods often turn out not to be the ‘right fuel’ for our energy ~ for our system. And like when you put the wrong fuel in the tank of your car ~ our systems can run into trouble when we make them run on the ‘wrong fuel’...

What then is the ‘right fuel’?
Well, our own system knows. Sounds funny? But it does.
This means that we ourselves know deep inside ourselves what is best for us. What we really need to keep an abundance of energy and vitality...
Apart from things like sleep, daylight, exercise, meditation, happiness, and laughter, which all help to replenish our energy ~ there is the obvious component of our food; the things we eat and drink. When we choose our food entirely with from the perspective of what is best for us, what is best for our energy ~ we would likely end up with a totally different meal than what we have grown accustomed to over the years...
Research would suggest that when we do that we would eat more salads, less meat, hardly any sugar or otherwise refined foods. In other words, we would eat a meal low on comfort foods...

Yet we don’t have to go with what research suggests...
We could ~ just for once, just to see what happens ~ do our grocery shopping from an intuitive perspective, keeping the thought in mind we only want to buy those things that make us healthiest, just the things that give us most energy and vitality. And with every item you pick up, you sense intuitively whether it just tastes good; or whether it is actually good for you, for your system, for your vitality.

It is a fun experiment that may surprise you!!
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Energy

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Energy is one of those things that can have a lot of applications ~ to the point that the definitions for those applications seem to differ ~ not by that much, but still...
Energy is:

• the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity
• power derived from the utilization of physical or chemical resources
• in physics the property of matter and radiation that is manifest as a capacity to perform work (such as causing motion or the interaction of molecules)

So, according to the dictionary it is both the strength, vitality and capacity to ‘perform work’ or ‘sustain activity’ ~ it is also the power that gives us that strength and vitality.

Energy, from a more global perspective, is something we feel we need to be careful with. Not waste it. As most of our energy comes in one way or another from nature, we don’t want to take more than nature can replenish. And we also don’t want to get stuck with the sometimes toxic rest-materials of energy production...

Yet how does this interaction work on a personal level?
We are most likely to see our personal energy as:

• a feeling of possessing strength and vitality.
• force or vigor of expression.
• a person's physical and mental powers, typically as applied to a particular task or activity.

In other words, as something we feel is always there; as a part of our personality in a sense.
That leaves the questions where we get our energy from, what we do with it, and finally, what happens when we run out of energy...

Looking at what gives us our energy, the food we eat seems to be the most obvious answer. But food is not the only source of our energy ~ there is also sleep, daylight, exercise, meditation, happiness, laughter... All these things can give us a sense of greater vitality, and therefore can give us energy.

What we do with that energy, that vitality, is entirely up to us! We have total free will choice as to where we spend our energy, and whatever we choose to spend it on ~ even when in hindsight we might say we should have known better ~ is part of our individual path and personal growth.

But when we run out of energy we would be wise to step back from what we were doing and re-evaluate... Energy does have a similarity to money. You can run out of money until your next paycheck. That is like running out of energy and needing a good night sleep. Or you can be out of money and run into dept. When that situation occurs with your energy, recovering is a lot harder.
It often takes time and focus.
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Small Things

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Usually the small things we encounter in life can affect us in a big way. Things like the weather; whether it is too dark, too bright, too hot, too cold, too wet ~ you name it, there is always something about it that makes us pause and wish things were different. Wishing you could get out there when the sun is shining; wishing you didn’t have to get out through the poring rain...

And there are more of those small things that we allow to mark our days.
Like the long line at the supermarket register. The driver who obviously has no clue where he or she is going and who is consequently holding up traffic. A grumpy person in the drugstore. Grabbing the perfect parking place only to find that you can only get out of the car by stepping in a huge puddle. A seasonal vendor who is taking up the entire sidewalk to sell his wares...
The list can go on and on.

Each of those things ~ when observed from a factual perspective ~ is too small to even start talking about; let alone allow us to be bothered about them. And yet, more often than not they do bother us. These small things can make the difference between a ‘good day’ and a ‘bad day’.

The interesting thing is that we also have a tendency to string them together. For instance; while the weather isn’t exactly perfect that day, there is no problem at all until you miss the bus going downtown and have to wait another 12 minutes for the next bus to arrive. When it finally arrives 5 minutes late ~ chances are that a day that started as a regular rainy Autumn day is well on its way to becoming a ‘bad day’. And seeing young children gaining great pleasure from jumping in the middle of the puddles in the park, doesn’t make it any better...
By now, grumpiness has set in.

Do you recognize that? I can be well on my way to total grumpiness before I realize that I am letting my mood ~ and therefore my day ~ be affected by small things that in all reality aren’t worth spending that much time and energy on. Mostly because I have no way of changing them.

They are all small things that are outside of myself, that I in no way can influence...

What I can change is how I react to them.
I can choose to not permit them to affect me. I can choose to not become grumpy because of them. I can choose to smile and join in the pleasure of the kids jumping in the puddles...

Especially when it is about the small things in life we can choose to shrug them off and purposely find a way to see that day as a ‘good day’.
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Public Places

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Public places, especially those public places where there are a lot of people, are always interesting to spend some time at. Without anything specific happening it seems that with every person walking by a whole story is being told...

Looking at the people and how they are moving from one side of the place to another it becomes clear that each person emanates an energy that is uniquely theirs. But they also show a more ‘general’ picture. Common ‘pictures’ are boredom, purpose, sorrow, happiness, relief, haste, relaxation... Yet the list can go on and on...

Just looking at the more ‘common pictures’, there seems to be a vast difference as to how those pictures are taking shape. Sometimes it is literally in the pace the person is walking at. Other times it is more in how they are carrying themselves ~ in whether their weight seems a heavy burden; or is something that is hardly noticed at all... And this doesn’t seem to have any form of relationship with the actual weight of the person ~ a heavy person may walk around as if there is no burden in the world; while a skinny person can look as if the weight of the world is on their shoulders.
There are those that are just staring into space ~ their eyes and minds focussed on sometime, someplace else. They may even be in an entire different galaxy, a different universe...
Almost always there are people waiting. waiting for the next event, waiting until it is time to do something, to be somewhere, to meet someone. For some this seems to give the opportunity for a quiet interlude in a busy day; while for others even waiting comes with a sense of urgency.

Then there are those people who are purposely going about their business ~ and looking at the way they are moving it seems that the one thing that is propelling them forward is their mind as their bodies are experiencing a fairly obvious discomfort...
Sometimes that discomfort seems to be emotional in nature. Other times it is like they are in a situation they don’t want to be in, yet they don’t seem to have a clue as to how to get out of it ~ for whatever the reason. And then there are the purely physical discomforts, for instance of joints that are hurting.
Yet what they all have in common is that they are going about their business without letting their particular discomfort getting the best of them. The message their minds are telling the world ~ even without speaking a word ~ is “I can do this! I may need some help every once in a while, but this I can do!”.

And that deserves a lot of respect!
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More than the sum of the parts ~ part two

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The same way our lives and everything we experience living it is more than the sum of the parts ~ so too are we ourselves. We are much more than heart and lungs, digestive tract, arms, legs and brain, to name a few of the parts. We are also mind on all of its levels, and awareness. We are spiritual beings ~ even when we don’t spend a lot of time in our daily routines on ‘spiritual things’. We have an energy field around us that can show those who are attuned to see it the most beautiful colors that are part of our make up. And we have a soul. That unique and never-ending part of us.
And each of these parts interacts with all the other parts, weaving patterns that reflect our balance, our well being.

The more all of us is working toward the same goal, the same sense of balance or (inner) peace, we feel ‘on top of the world’, and in some sense, larger than life!

But what happens if we have an inner desire to accomplish something ~ let’s say something we chose to accomplish before we even were born ~ and for whatever the reason the inner dialogue, our inner thinking, keeps insisting that this is something we will never achieve? Because we don’t have the right education, don’t have the position, the skills, the abilities; or perhaps just don’t feel like taking the risk...

All of a sudden unexpected things can happen in our systems, our bodies.
At first it may just be the realization that something isn’t right, a slight sense of friction or stress. Then a sense of discontent might develop ~ a discontent not just because this thing we feel we are unable to do, but often a discontent about our lives or even the world. Eventually, that which started as a relatively small discrepancy within ourselves, may find a physical outlet ~ leaving us to experience  some kind of physical discomfort.

I have found that it is one of the hardest things to do in a situation like that ~ is to step back from it, to observe what is going on, and to see what it is in myself I can change to move toward wholeness again... What that step is, is unique to each individual. For me it has often to do with having faith in myself and my abilities.
Yet there are three things that are always true when something like this happens:
It is not our fault that it happens!
We have no reason to feel guilty about it.
We can do something about it by changing our attitudes and perspectives about ourselves or the world around us.

This means we don’t even have to come up with a solution to the original problem, as long as we find a way to restore our balance and our sense of inner peace, we can re-create ourselves into that being that not only is larger than the sum of the parts, but also feels larger than life itself!!
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