Letting Go of Self Interest and Self Importance

Although we have been made to believe that if we let go we will end up with nothing, life reveals just the opposite: that letting go is the real path to freedom. Sogyal Rinpoche

I hold so tightly to my idea of my SELF: who I am , what I know, what I believe. I am locked into the perception that I am a 59 year old woman. Is that really who I am? I read books on spirituality, I chant Sanskrit chants, I meditate, I do Hatha yoga. Do these practices help to free me of my delusions, or do they create their own attachments? Who am I really?

Accept being unimportant.
Do not be concerned with loss or gain. Lao Tsu

I want to become unimportant, but my ego gets in the way. I am sensitive to criticism. I fear loss, change, death. I don't want to be alone, but no one else lives inside my skin.

Another way of looking at this is letting go of self-pity. Don Juan (Carlos Castaneda's teacher) said this was essential for a warrior. He said we are all misled by our self-pity, which keeps us stuck in our small point of view.

It all comes down to letting go, surroundering our will to a greater will. Letting go and letting God. The ultimate leap of faith. Can I do it? Can you?

Hope Rekindles in the Spring by Saralee Sky

Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again. Sarah Ban Breathnach

Today is Good Friday and also the second day of spring. A full moon will be in the sky tonight. With the sun just entering Aries, the full moon will be in Libra. The Aries energy of beginning and bursting forth will be tempered with the balanced energy of Libra.

Good Friday is a truly magical day. I long to know what it was like for Jesus and all the others who lived through the sadness and horror, only to be renwed in spirit, faith and love. What an auspicious day! What a chance for us all to rekindle our faith, our hope, our love for one and all. The energy of spring - of renewal - of rebirth - is intensified by the full moon and Easter.

As we enter this powerful Full Moon Spring Equinox, let us recommit ourselves to our journey of Wisdom and Transformation. Let us renew our deep healing and rebirth efforts and practices, celebrating this sacred and magical time of transformation in our lives. Paul Avgerinos Round Sky Music

I always feel full of hope and promise in the spring, especially when the sun moves out of Pisces and into Aries. I am a third degree Aries with my sun conjunct the planet Mars. That means that the Aries energy is particularly strong in me, especially in the first week or so of spring.

My birthday is March 24th and I enjoy celebrating it with my loved ones. Last year I had a big party that doubled as a house-warming party for our new house. This year we will celebrate on Easter Sunday with my family. Then on the 24th, I will take two of my grandchildren to see the Horton Hears a Who movie. I'm looking forward to it. :)

But tonight I will spend some time in contemplation and in celebration of all the elements coming together: of spring and the renewal of light over darkness, of an Aries sun with a Libra full moon, of Good Friday and all it portends. The Equinox has come and the days will be getting longer. Hope and life will burst forth from the earth and be blessed with the light of the heavens above. Joyous Spring to you all!

I've been tagged: Note to my 15 year old self.

I write to you now from the perspective of a 58 year old woman - a crone. You have just started out on your life's journey. You still live at home with your step mom and Uncle Joe. Life is a great big unknown, especially your own inner self.

I say to you: be not afraid. You will journey far and wide on this earth and you will learn again to listen to that voice inside you - the one you used to hear loud and clear before your step mother put a stop to all that when you were 8. You will be part of the hippie era, the generation gap, sex, drugs and rock and roll. And you will come through it with an ethic of your own and a spiritual path that will lead you deep within.

Gary and Nunzio will play roles in your adult life, but not what you think now. You will have babies and grandbabies, you will live as a pioneer, you will study paychology, you will meet your soul mate. You will love with all your heart and learn about loss and change. You will have a good life - so relax and be yourself. The people you think are so important now will fade away and be no more than the glimmer of a memory.

Before any of this takes place you will have to learn to grieve - for the loss of your mother and your father. You cannot stuff unpleasant feelings away. They will find their way to the surface when you least expect them. You heart will be broken but it will mend and be stronger for it.

I love you, young Saralee. Be kind to yourself. And now, what I REALLY wish I was able to tell my 15 year old self is this: Your brother in law was right when he gave you that boring lecture about what to do with your life: learn everything you can about computers. And buy Microsoft and Starbucks stock – as much as you can as fast as you can. You’ll thank me or rather I’LL thank YOU! :)