East of Eden Wellness Services

09/30/2023

Last week, someone I love dearly was having a rough week. The last straw was when his car stalled. He was thinking that replacing the battery would be a quick effort, but when he pulled into the repair shop, a mechanic took a quick look and said in was the alternator, not the battery -- and considerable more money to repair. Disheartened and angry, he left his car to be repaired. The next day, he calls to tell me that he is in a better place and that, after a day of being angry, he has accepted the situation and let go of his anger. Shortly after that call, he arrives at the repair shop. The owner comes out and explains that it was not the alternator, it was the alternator belt...the very belt that they had replace 90 days ago. So, the owner smiled and said, "Merry Christmas." Repaired car, no bill! Today, I let go of my anger and trust that the Universe provides for my Highest and Greatest Good. I AM ready to receive.

05/21/2023

I saw an interesting billboard sign today. There was a big picture of Dolly Parton and the words "Find the Goodness in Everyone." All the way home I felt those words, deep in my heart -- find the goodness in everyone. Somehow in the midst of the anger and violence and hatred that seems to dominate the news, this small sentence is vitally important. Find the Goodness in Everyone. Moreover, find the goodness in YOURSELF! If I take that extra moment to find the goodness in me, I will find it much easier to find the goodness in others. Today I AM the goodness that I see in everyone.

06/06/2021

Gratitude is one of our most powerful tools we have to manifest our dreams! Today, I AM grateful for my son's laughter...it is contagious. What are you grateful for?

12/23/2016

As we leave 2016 and look toward the New Year, I leave you with the words of the Desiderata by Max Ehrmann.

"Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without utter surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world if full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul."

Wishing you Happy Holidays, Elizabeth

11/11/2016

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” ~Martin Luther King~

We live in what seems like a tumultuous time, a time that seems topsy-turvy, or contradictory to an “evolved” society. But, rest assured that this too, is part of a Divine Plan, a necessary step before we can truly come together as a country, as a global community.

Ok, blah, blah, blah -- but what does that mean? For me, it means closely examining my own thoughts and beliefs and releasing any thoughts of separation, any thoughts of “better than” or “less than.” For me, it means becoming an active participant in my community, helping in the midst of change. For me, it means living my highest core value of “Do unto others as you would have do unto you” – every moment of the day. For me, it means, while perhaps disagreeing with political positions, respecting those who are elected to office and continuing to hold our elected officials accountable for the greater good of all. For me, it is choosing to look past our differences and, instead, find our common humanity. But, most of all, and like Martin Luther King said, for me, it is deciding to stick with love because, yes, hate is just too great a burden to bear. I hold a vision of peace for myself, my community, my country, and the world.

Today, I AM the voice of respect, compassion, and love. Today, I AM the peace I want for the world and I share that peace in my actions.

06/24/2016

“And that’s the thing about hope. In the moment when you feel it, it can seem foolish or sentimental or disconnected from reality. But hope knows that people change on a timeline that we can’t predict. We can never know the power that a word of kindness or an act of forgiveness will have on the person who needs it the most.

What I now know is that my life could have had many outcomes; that it didn’t heed to happen the way it did. I was once an angry, lost teenager holding a community hostage to fear and greed. Thousands of youth are making the same mistakes every day. But we weren’t born that way. None of our children are born that way. And when they get that way, they aren’t lost for good.

That’s why I’m asking you to envision a world where men and women aren’t held hostage to their pasts, where misdeeds and mistakes don’t define you for the rest of your life. In an era of record incarcerations and a culture of violence, we can learn to love those who no longer love themselves. Together, we can being to make things right.” ~ Writing My Wrongs, by Shaka Senghor

A wise young man shared this passage with me today. Its message is so relevant to many. We are not our past. I am not my past -- you are not your past. I am reminded to forgive others for their "trespasses" just I as want to be forgiven for mine. Today, I let go of my mistakes while I hold dear the lessons I learned from them. Today, I AM the change I want in myself and the world. PEACE.

02/12/2016

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is the we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God." ~Marianne Williamson, A return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"

My fear of being the Shining Light I AM causes me to hesitate, to delay my actions, to take the common road, to rationalize why I should not be [fill in the blank], to look back and wonder what could have been. I am more than my fear. What I have to contribute to the world matters. The Shining Light that is ME matters. Please take 3 minutes and watch this video.

Today I take one step, however small, toward what and who I know in my heart I am supposed to be, knowing that this step will lead to the next, and the next, and the next step. Today, there will be no regrets for I AM a Child of God.


http://www.lifebuzz.com/never-late/

This isn't meant to be inspiring, but it IS.

01/15/2016

“What screws us up most is the picture in our head of how it is supposed to be.” ~Unknown~

There is a meme floating around Facebook with this saying. I casually read it and continued to scroll through other posts when the depth and utter truth of the short, unadorned quote hit me. This captures in a brief number of words what I encounter frequently in my practice – the unnecessary (and unhealthy) means of feeling worthy by comparing ourselves to an unrealistic picture that we hold it our heads.

We have been subtly and skillfully conditioned since childhood that life should be certain way, that success (which we attach to worthiness) is based upon what education we have had, what job we hold, what car we drive, where we live, how much money we have. Some encounter family pressures. We all encounter social pressures to be a certain way or have certain things to be accepted. Without even realizing it, we develop a picture in our head of “how it is supposed to be” and we constantly compare it to the life we are experiencing – and often judge ourselves short. Stop the judgment!

Likewise,now is the time to stop beating yourself up for the choices you have made. Each choice was a learning experience. Each choice led you to now. Now is the time to be in your life – reclaim it, cherish it, honor it, and, in so doing, be, reclaim, cherish, and honor you. Let go of that picture in your head of what you thought your life was supposed to be – and, when you do, you can more clearly see the fullness and the beauty of your life AS IT IS – and how every aspect of your life has made you the glorious person that you are.

Today, I look at my life and myself without judgment, seeing the amazing picture that IS my life. I AM a beautiful and glorious expression of SPIRIT – just as I AM, and because I AM.

01/02/2016

Just before the Christmas holiday, I received a warm and touching note from an insightful man who wished for me “a new year full of new optimism for all of us, and across the world.” It touched me so deeply that I want to share it.

From these few heart-felt words, I began to examine how I felt about myself, my life, my friends, my community, and the world. I was searching for my Optimism. I could not find it! With each challenge I faced this past year, I chipped off a bit of my Optimism until I could no longer find it. In meditation, I searched for that energy of Optimism and finally found a tiny spark, a little flame that the child in me was intensely protecting from being extinguished. She looked glad to see me. As she handed me that little flame, I felt my spirit lifting.

So, at the dawning of 2016, I leave you with the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.”

Today, I invite you to find your Optimism; for this day and every day is filled with hopes and invitations. Today everything I do, everything I say, every choice I make is fused with the Optimism I feel. I share it freely. I AM the Optimism the World needs.
Happy New Year! Elizabeth

12/20/2015

“In each of us, there lies a divine connection to a power more powerful than hate or violence. Today is the day to attune to that power and use it on behalf of peace of earth.” ~Marianne Williamson~

In the midst of the holiday season (however you celebrate it), as you hurry and scurry to shop and wrap and decorate, or as you look at your sleeping child and hope that Santa got his letter, or as you anticipate the upcoming family gathering (whether is it with delight or dread), or as you turn off the news because you just can’t hear another bad thing – stop a moment to remember: You are part of this Divine Universe and its Loving Creator, and you are connected to this Loving Creator, every second of every day. It may be hidden under a lifetime of fear, doubt, worry, and other negative feelings, but that connection is still there, never wavering, ever present, always loving, ever at ready for you to awaken to your Greatness and Power. Look for it, feel it deep in your Heart. Love is vastly more powerful than hate and violence. Be at Peace.

May you reconnect with your Divinity this holiday season. May you be filled with the Greatness and Power of its Love. And, may you be inspired to use your Power on behalf of Peace on Earth. I AM the expression of Peace of Earth – it begins in me.

11/22/2015

“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you…never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” ~ Harriet Beecher Stowe

I was reminded this week of just how amazing the Universe is – and just how true all those clichés really are. So, here goes! Don’t give up. Don’t despair when you think that life has thrown you a curve ball. The proverbial door might have closed but a window has definitely opened. Even if you cannot see the window in that moment, trust that it is there! And, trust that it is showing you the path to YOU. The Creator, the Source of All, does, and will always, present opportunities for you to become the Highest and Greatest YOU! This does not mean that you just sit back and wait. Rather, it means that you actively participate in your life by believing in YOU, by taking positive action (even if that action is nothing more than changing your attitude), by putting one foot in front of the other (no matter how small the step may seem), and by knowing you WILL see that open window – and the view will be spectacular!

Today, I walk my Path with all its twists and turns knowing that challenges are simply redirecting me to something Greater! Today, I invite abundance, prosperity and goodness into my life by taking positive action, knowing that it will come. Today and every day, I AM guided by the Divine within me.

10/27/2015

"Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren’t any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn’t be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life’s challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person.” ~R. Buckminster Fuller~

Discouragement is the inevitable result of listening to Fear who whispers in your ear, “I am a failure,” or “Why bother, it doesn’t make a difference anyway?” It is that same Fear that entices you to look for evidence of success or worth in or from other people or in material things. It is way too easy to go there. What a self-indulgent waste of time and energy! Good ol’ Fear wants you to forget that you are perfect as you are, in all your uniqueness, to forget that you are Divinely Guided, to forget that you can meet every challenge with conviction, grace, and trust that you have purpose, and to forget that you do make a difference in the world. Even if you never receive a “pat on the back” or recognition for your actions, you make a difference in the world – this cannot be measured in material-oriented terms like “success” or “failure.” After all, Vincent Van Gogh, expressing his uniqueness, only sold one painting during his lifetime, yet his artwork has inspired and touched the hearts of millions. Today, I stop listening to Fear and REMEMBER to be the Unique Me. I make a difference simply because I AM on this Earth and the only evidence I need I already have – my connection to Something Greater.

08/31/2015

"I'm trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it." ~the character, Morpheus, from the movie The Matrix~

How do you describe a mind that is free of fear? Empowered, limitless, soaring, curious, creative, interested in the experience of life, at peace with the world and with self, and much more. How do you free your mind of fear? It requires that you set aside your fear long enough to step back and take a look at that fear for what it really is – not the big ugly monster you think it is, but a weak, manipulative, chest-beating energy that holds your Mind with thoughts that are untrue. Others can show you the way, can lead by example, but it always comes down to one thing – you, and you alone, must walk through the door of change. Today, I see the Door of Change before me. Today, I take my first step toward a Mind free of fear.

05/10/2015

"Give freely to the world these gifts of love and compassion. Do not concern yourself with how much you receive in return, just know in your heart it will be returned." ~Steve Maraboli~

It makes sense on Mother's Day that I would be thinking about my mother. I am reminded of her selfless giving of love and compassion, of her unwavering acceptance and support, and her ability to move through life with humor. She freely gives her gifts to the world without expectation of anything in return. I am also profoundly aware that anyone -- male or female, whether you have children or not, no matter your memories of your mother -- can express these wonderfully warm characteristics. The world needs them. Today, I honor my mother by living the example she sets, by carrying forward her wisdom, and by incorporating her highest qualities of selfless giving into my daily life.

08/12/2014

"It is the province of knowledge to speak, and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen." ~Oliver Wendell Holmes~ When was the last time truly invested in listening to someone? I mean the type of listening where you put aside what you were doing, give your full attention, without deciding ahead of time what the speaker was going to say, without silently formulating your response, no judgement, the kind of listening from the heart that enables you to hear the words and the feelings that are being conveyed to you. When you do this type of listening you allow the Highest Part of You to understand and connect with the Highest Part of the person to whom you are listening. You gain a depth of understanding that goes far past the words that are being spoken. Without words, you say "I value you, all of you." And, when you listen and understand from your Highest Self, there is no doubt that any response you make is divinely guided. Today, I listen, truly listen, with my ears and my heart.

08/08/2014

"Anyone can find fault. It is the wise person who finds that which encourages another in the turmoils and strifes of the day." ~Edgar Cayce

Why spend your time and energy on seeking blame? By any definition, seeking blame is an act of judgment that results in either thoughts of being a victim or thoughts of shame and unworthiness. We all make mistakes. Blaming only misdirects your attention away from uplifting solutions. Letting go of blame frees you to find encouraging and productive solutions and enables healthier means for individuals to experience the consequences of their actions. Today, I let go of blame and choose to offer encouragement and positive solutions for myself and others. I AM divinely guided to higher thought and action that reflect the best and highest part of myself.