June 23, 2007

Breathe When It's Light

After all these posts about the river trip, are you starting to feel like you were there? I hope so! My intention is to give you the benefits of being there, so thanks for indulging me while I dwell on it! : )

When Lorenzo finished his safety speech on day 2, he asked Brie (my hero) if he'd forgotten anything. She piped in with one of my favorites of the whole trip: "Breathe when it's light, not when it's dark."

"Breathe when it's light, not when it's dark" ... ?

Who needs to be reminded when to breathe?

Sounds simple, but all three guides assured us it's easy to get confused when you've been tossed about by class 5 rapids. If it's dark, you're under water. Don't breathe then. Wait till it's light. That's when you'll take in oxygen instead of water.

Brie said it was those words from Lorenzo, drilled into her head, that saved her on a particularly tumultuous ride. She was ejected from the raft, disoriented and scared, and his simple mantra: "Breathe when it's light, not when it's dark" came to mind. It's what kept her from breathing a mouthful of churning river water into her lungs.

Those mantras! Don't you just love 'em?! Our anchor when we would otherwise drift. They can be lifesavers when we remember to use them.

Lorenzo's mom, a third grade teacher for 20 plus years, told him the best way to teach was through repetition. So he not only repeated those words several times to us during each speech, but gave the safety speech several times throughout the trip. Ha!
Since his responsibility was to keep us safe, he gave us instruction we could hold on to when times got tough.

The mantra I use that keeps me on track most is "Nothing is more important than that I feel good." (Got that from Wayne Dyer at a Louise Hay event, and again on his PBS special. I suspect he picked it up from Abraham, but it was Wayne that I heard it from first. I repeat those words to myself with the same conviction he had.)

I'm also a fan of memorizing top core values, so whenever it feels like I'm straying from my"self," I remember "Connection, Authenticity, Nature, Freedom." With that in mind, I can't get too far from who I am.

What are your life-saving words? What keeps you grounded and on track? If you don't already have a phrase, affirmation or mantra that works for you, keep you ears open for one that inspires you. It comes in handy when the river gets choppy and life gets scary.

6 comments:

  1. The mantra that keeps me going . . .

    "I accept and I'm thankful"

    I like to keep it simple. I do what I can and then I let it go rahter than worry about it. Sometimes I switch it up . . .

    "I'm thankful and I accept" LOL

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice one! Thanks for sharing! It's got a beautiful and strong theme of allowing - and appreciation. Can't get much better than that!

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's not so much that I have words as I have a visual that helps me catch onto the illusions of life. I find myself standing behind a billboard - there also is a distinct feeling around my shoulders as if shedding off illusions like a sweater. I become aware of my life being the billboard and I am the bigger energy behind it.
    It's as if when I am focused on a problem I am standing in front of the billboard and that is all I can see. When I step around it and see the back of the board I catch onto the illsuions it holds for me.
    It's always such a releif to realize I am not the billboard. lol maybe that is the mantra.

    Love Leslie

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ah, Leslie, your "shedding the billboard" illusion reminds me of this recent Abe quote:

    "Guest: ... when it comes to my career .... I don't even like to call it a career, because I don't feel at this point that I have a CAREER ....

    Abe: That honesty thing is just going to kill you [audience laughter]. You've got tell-it-like-it-is-itis. [audience laughter]

    G: I know. Yeah. [laughs]

    A: Did you have someone up close to you that demanded that you never offer any deception whatsoever? In other words, where did this overeagerness to nail your foot to the floor come from? [long pause] Well you know, you're onto something there because what you're saying is, It's important to me to present myself accurately. And so we would like to present yourself accurately from our point of view. Because we want you to catch a glimpse of who we see you as. We know who you are as you came in. And we've seen what life has caused you to become. And we give our undivided attention to your vibrational escrow. And so do all of the resources of the Universe.

    And if you don't turn your attention to what's in your vibrational escrow, you cause a splitting of energies that keeps your life from going the way you want to. You've got to start looking at the Real You. You've got to stop being so deceptive and looking dishonestly at the temporary you. You must start looking at the Authentic You. And the Authentic You is over there in vibrational escrow. You see what we're getting at? The Authentic You. The You that Law of Attraction is responding to most powerfully.

    That's why the stream flows as it does. [Pointing] You're over here. This is who You are. And you're uncomfortable until the rest of you comes with it. [Powerfully.] So why are you clinging so hard to the statistics that measure where you are, when the Authentic You is over there with a career that is beyond description from your physical terms right now. You've got to start looking that way and start trying to define it. And most of all you've got to stop feeling that that's deception. Because where you ARE is the true deception. That's why it feels so bad. Not letting yourself be Who You Are is the great lie you are telling, you see. [huge audience applause]

    And there are so many disconnected people willing to help you keep that lie alive. But you've come to a new awakening. You're beginning to SEE Who You Really Are. And you know, now you've seen it, you can't go back. You can NEVER resist going with the stream and feel good. You just HAVE to go with the stream. So, that discomfort you feel isn't because you're telling a lie.The discomfort you feel is because you're beating the drum of where you are and not letting yourself go with the Authentic You."

    Mexico Cruise, 4-12-07

    Your mantra sums this concept up eloquently, Leslie: "I am not the billboard." lol I LOVE it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Jeannette and Leslie, Everyone!

    Thank you for sharing the dialog of ‘I’m not the Billboard’ and the Abraham conversation on ‘tell-it-like-it-is-itis’!

    Wow.

    I’m getting chills reading that!

    Xxx
    Kim

    ReplyDelete
  6. I agree with you wholeheartedly Kim, what could be better than conversations on what helps us to remember we are the bigger picture. I love that bright spirit of Jeannette's that creates a sacred space for sharing and plants the thought of using tools to access our memory. How wonderful of her to remind us to use our words, activate our intent and to always find ways to come back to ourselves. I appreciate being reminded to breathe and "Take In" the light and the good stuff and just not bother with the dark stuff. And to keep it simple and humble with I accept and I am thankful.
    Truly the very best thing we could ever do for ourselves is to hang out with beings that sparkle like diamonds and brighten our journey.

    Love Leslie

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.