oranges

millie shows me two oranges.  one has a thick peel and the fruit inside is dry and tasteless.  the other has a thin peel with juicy, full fruit.


"energy that goes into your peel is unavailable for your fruit.  put your energy into yourself, not your shell.  focus on your juice, not your peel."

I love the food analogies, they make so much sense!

thank you, millie.

unfold your fan

millie shows me a delicate japanese fan with beautiful artwork.  then she closes it.


"you all walk around with your fans folded, hiding your true selves, so that you look as much as possible like everyone else."

the fan opens part way, then snaps shut.  there is a feeling of fear.


"fans are not as pretty when they are closed.  they aren't functional when they are closed.  humans are the same way.  open your fan.  you function better when you are open.  it takes a lot of energy to close yourself off, let go of the fear and use that energy for a positive purpose."

I associate total openness with lack of boundaries, over-sharing, lots of negative things.


"everyone has boundaries.  physical, energetic, emotional boundaries.  the problem isn't that boundaries are lacking, but that people fail to observe them.  do what you need to do to keep yourself comfortable, but know that you can occupy your own physical and energetic space in such a way that others do not intrude.  


this is a separate issue from your openness.  you can be open and also fully occupy your space, with no reactivity or defensiveness, you simply own your space and others cannot affect that."

it seems that we look outside of ourselves when we should be looking in, and vice-versa.


"that is a side effect of living so many lifetimes in a purely physical, body-based world.  you forget what is possible.  you lose touch with some of your tools.  as you re-integrate as a spirit in body, these tools will become more available to you."

so I'm guessing my use of these tools will not prevent others from over-sharing.


"no.  but it will help you not to be bothered by that.  and it will help you to maintain your own space, with your own energy, which always feels right and good.  the energy of others, whatever that may be, will not enter your space."

that does sound good.


"as you move through the world, sure of your space, comfortable in your space, you can let go of fear.  scary things may come, but they cannot enter your space."

that sounds great!


"you can do this.  you already do it.  when the fear gets into your space, it is because you agree with it.  when you agree with it, you accept it, you allow it, and it comes in.  try just looking at the fear from a neutral place.  don't agree.  don't resist.  just look.  see what happens.


let go of fear and it will let go of you.


open yourself to life, to each other, to the real, full you.  unfold your fan."

thank you, millie.

community

millie shows me a boat with people rowing.


"when you all row in the same direction, with the same intent, there is progress and ease.  when you row in different directions, there is discord and stress.


you are all in the boat together.  whether you choose to row together or not is a function of individual free will."

what about our desire to place ourselves first?  how does that rock the boat?


"you live in a community.  most of you live in several communities.  you row with your communities to the extent you choose to.  there is a delicate balance between rowing for yourself alone and rowing for your community.  enlightened self interest dictates that you row for your community in order to row for yourself.  there is power in the actions of the many that is not present in the action of the one."

so we can row for everyone and ourselves at the same time?


"that is the most effective way.  find the intersection of you and everyone else and put your energy there.  it doesn't take away from your individuality, it multiplies you and your effort in the world."

thank you, millie.

pay attention to the small stuff

millie shows me a small ladybug crawling up my leg.  it stops on my knee and starts to speak in millie's voice.

"sometimes the information that comes your way is small and subtle."

the ladybug starts to dance, complete with top hat and cane.  then it stops and looks at me.


"it isn't going to dance a jig to get your attention.  to receive your information, just be open to it.  make space for it in your life.  the more space you give it, the easier it will be to see and understand.


don't work at it.  don't hunt for it.  just listen and wait.  notice it when it comes.  acknowledge it and let it go on by.  let it land on you like a butterfly, like a gift.


actually, it is not so rare as a butterfly landing on you, more like lightening bugs on a summer evening.  the information is everywhere.  when you look in one direction and see bugs flash all over the place, then you look somewhere else and see more of them flash, it is like information readily available wherever you look.  open yourself.  be grounded.  be centered.  pay attention."

thank you, millie.

galactic adventurers

"humans are not the only beings out there and earth is not the only planet with people.  they don't all look like you, but they are part of the 'we' that you and I are a part of.  it's a pretty big 'we.'  all of the stories, the science-fiction, the fantasy that humans have written books about and made into movies comes from the collective knowledge and memory.


all is possible.  nothing is impossible.  if you can imagine it, it can be done, and probably has.  there are no limits, no restrictions, no rules.


this planet is very rule-bound, but you have made all the rules up.  they aren't real.  well, they are as real as you make them with your belief, so for some, they are very real.  but reality is a construct, a definition humans have chosen, to distinguish between what you can see and hear and feel, versus all the rest of the everything.  it is all real.  you just can't perceive all of it and so you define it out of existence.  that doesn't really erase it, just makes it harder for you to see and understand.


if you approach the all-that-is with the attitude that anything is possible, you will greatly broaden your horizons and free yourself for exploration.


we are all explorers, inner and outer exploration.  it's what we do.  it's why we exist.  it is divine purpose."

thank you, millie.

peas in a pod

millie shows me peas in a pod.  that's what she called it, but I pictured edamame (soy beans) because that's what I'm familiar with.


"each pea is individual, separate, but together -- made of the same stuff.  they are both individual and the same, just like humans.  you are meant to grow together like peas.


no matter how different your lives, your personalities, your preferences, your outward appearances, you are all made of the same stuff.


notice how each pea is protected by a skin, a shell.  your protective layers keep you safe, but they keep you separate.  think about shedding all the protective layers you carry and being your authentic, naked self in in the world.  think about the fear that idea brings up.  look at that fear.  what is it?"

good question.

thanks, millie.

change

"change is good.  it is inevitable.  you can look forward and steer your growth, or you can look backward and be surprised, disturbed, upset by change.  change and growth are meant to go hand-in-hand, but if you resist change you resist growth.


grow or die.  this is a mandate from the universe.  'die' is figurative, you can just rot in place.  a form of death.  movement is the natural way of things."

thank you, millie.