It’s only part of living….

That is how my dad explained his immenant death to his granddaughter,my daughter.He was told in October 2010 that he had terminal cancer and he died on the 6th of Feb 2011.He was truely an amazing man,who accepted his death with joy and grace.It’s not that he was a saint, he could course and swear with the best,and he had a vicious tongue when pushed,but for the most part he was mild mannered and loving.

He took on the challenge of his illness in pretty much tthe same way  he took on everything else in his life,by knuckling down and getting on with it.He met with all his family and as many of his friends as was possible and made sure that there was nothing left unsaid.He gave away the last of his possessions,including his clothes, car, motorised buggy,wheelchair,the lot,as he said himself.He did his best to let go of everything,so that he crosssed to meet his wife carrying as little as possible.

It’s strange when you see someone in their last days and experience how little they need and how little the material things matters.The stuff we strive for and sacrefice for is of little use when you are on your death bed.We know this logically,yet somehow we still getwrapped up in the rush to accumulate.

They say that you only truely grow up when both your parents have passed.I have to say I have found that to be so true and so weird.The whole shift in family dynamic is unreal and takes a little getting used to .It’s an amazing time  of reflection and it really gets you to face your ownspace and how you fill it and what energy you fill it with.I have been challlenged to examine what is important and then what is really important.It’s also a really emotional time, when your love for siblings and family is highlighted and the love for parents is heightened as you remember the good times and dwell on the positive memories.

So ,now it’s time to move on and what a time it is.The planet is changing at an accelerated pace.There are physical uprisings in the shape of earthquakes,tsunamis and tornadoes as well as economic uprisings in terms of recessions in places like Ireland,Europe and the U.S.,while there is a boom in places like China,India and Brazil.

The sun has been shining on Ireland for weeks and it has lifted spirits and dimmed the memory of the harsh winter.Things are changing for the better.There is a definite sense of a positive shift in business sentiment as people begin to realise that there are opportunities in every market.It seems that anyone living the 3R credo of the Dali Lama,i.e.Respect Yourself, Respect Others,take Responsibilty, either conciously or otherwise,seem to be thriving in this environment. Now is the time to

MOVIN’ ON

2010 has kicked off with a storm,quiete literally.We have experienced rain,wind,snow, floods, ice,water shortages, electricity cuts,where are the locusts??The amazing thing is our ability to adjust and get on with things.If we could have been warned about all of these conditions, and there impact, there would have been pandimonium and major fear.As it is the media tries to create a  panic, but for the most part we just adapt and get on with it.Because we can!

My life took a major turn in the last few weeks when my mum passed on Christmas Day.She was diagnosed with cancer on the 25th of June and passed exactly six months later on the 25th of December.She was incredibly brave during her illness and her wish to have her family together for Christmas came through,albeit she didn’t get the chance to live it.However I have no doubt that she got to experience the beauty of the scene in an even fuller way.

As I write this I am reliving the amazing experience of mum moving on.The lovely energy that surrounded  the family like a shroud will stay with me forever .We are a normal disfunctional family ,with all the Heinz 57 variety of personalities and characters that you will find in any other full blooded Irish family.It was amazing and beautiful for a few days as we gathered around mum and helped her to move on,as we took  our individual roles to act in the collective, and support my dad and each other over what could have been a really difficult time. Mums wake and funeral became a celebration of her life and the love of her family and close friends.

Moving on can seem to be such a big ordeal.The fear of facing the unknown, the uncertianty of  how things will be ,trying to predict the future,and doing our best to controle the outcome.When you get to spend time with someone  you love as they  let go and move on ,you get to see how senseless it is to try and controle the outcome.When the time comes we will take one last breath and slip with ease to the other side.To where it can only be more beautiful, and to where things can only be easier.The lesson for me was to chill, and stop fussing  the small stuff.To get on with living,to get the most out of everything,to be full  of love and gratitude for an amazing life and to keep MOVIN’ ON.

Surrender

Not the easiest concept to take hold of .In my macho world it could look and sound like giving up. But life is showing me the other side .The business world is challenging and everyone is experiencing their own version of change.I am been shown what its like to not be frantic and to not have every second filled.And of course this has provided time to tend to some personsal issues , and boy are there some of them kickin’ off.

Historically I could have got wrapped up in the drama of these events ,now I am learning to surrender to the flow of each situation and to not be as attached to my  preferred outcome.My mother is teaching me amazing lessons, as is my buddy Greg,  two terminally ill people dealing with their circumstance with grace and courage.

And I look in on some of the drama I create and I resolve to let go and surrender to whatever the outcome,and to reaffirm to have fun with love as often and as much as possible.

Just for Today….

The Christmas season has arrived with a bluster. Gales, floods, hail,sleet,rain,ice,the works. It’s all kickin’ off and the commercial maddness is yet to start.It also brings us to a time of year where we start to reflect.Given that it is the end of the naughties we will be helped to reflect on the last 10 years.And wow what a 10 years its been.

Of course we will also have an eye on next year, and what’s around the corner.We can get busy planning next year,and even looking forward to this year  finishing,the sooner the better ,some might say .Iwas reminded last week of how we can spend our lives straddling time,with one foot in the past ,one foot in the future,while we crap all over the present!

Time to take stock of all our blessings,health, family, friends and be in the present .The Reiki principles sum it up brilliantly:

JUST FOR TODAY,I WILL LET GO OF WORRY.

JUST FOR TODAY ,I WILL LET GO OF ANGER.

JUST FOR TODAY,I WILL GIVE THANKS FOR MY MANY BLESSINGS.

JUST FOR TODAY,I WILL DO MY WORK HONESTLY.

JUST FOR TODAY,I WILL BE KIND TO MY NEIGHBOURS AND EVERY LIVING THING.

And I would add to that JUST FOR TODAY,IWILL HAVE FUN.

iAN

It Doesn’t Rain But It ……

Ever notice how things seem to happen in threes,how you wait an age for a bus or a taxi and a dose of them arrive together.How the things in threes seem to definetely happen with negative stuff.It’s as if good things seem to happen randomly, and more often than not in isolation,while the crappy things seem to follow each other with ease .Or is it the way we are programmed to notice?

This time of year always gets my attention.It’s like I need to be reminded every year that there is a natural cycle to life . The weather in October was lovely and mild ,trees change colour and there is a definete difference to everything,but different in a subtle way.Then, between the end of October and mid November we get some fearce winds and rain ,and suddenly the trees are bare and the leaves are everywhere.It’s as if nature says, quit faffing around and get on with the change.Let go of the old and make room for the new .It reminds me of what I can do,and of how subtly I hold on to may old ways.

Time to reprogramme and deprogramme even!!There is amazing change going on all around ,how is it playing out in your personal world?Time to bring on the good things ,and they don’t stop after three!The rain and the wind are a signal to us that its time to move on, to let go of the old and make room for the new!!

Does Monday know it’s Monday ? 09-11-2009

For some people Monday spells disaster,the start of the week,the end of the weekend,back to the grindstone, in to reality ,doom and gloom,the heavy drudge of work ,the daily toil!And then to others it’s the exciting start to the week .The prospect of new opportunities, of  dreams being fullfilled.While some are trying to wind up ,others are totally wound up.

The amazing thing with attitude is that it kicks in the LAW OF ATTRACTION. Your attitude is a direct reflection of  what you are thinking and how you are feeling.Your thaughts and feelings  determine what you attract in to your life .Are you attracting what you really want in your life? Imagine attracting what you want!It is as simple as being clear about what you want.The challange is to be CLEAR on what it is.

I find that I can very easily move from one clear want to another,without giving the time for my want to manifest.Of course the question is was I really clear inthe first place?It’s no accident that the things I’m clearest about are usually the things I’m most passionate  about.

So the trick on this beautiful Monday is to be clear , be  passionate  and  persist,the universe will look after the rest . The choice is yours as to how you treat this Monday,afterall Monday doesn’t even know its Monday!!

No such thing as coinsidence 29-10-09

Back from the most amazing course in France. I feel like I’ve been turned inside out and upside down,in a really positive way.I had some amazing personal insights, having created the space to let myself  BE.It never ceases to amaze me that when I creat the space Isee more ,I hear more and I FEEL more.I learned to embrace my shadow side,an amazing experience!Of course once I exposed some of my vunerability,lessons appeared all around me to allow me to heal some of my personal wounds. It’s no coincidence that those in my life who were willing to help me the most were there all the time anyway,just waiting for me to cop on.Once I got the message and changed my perspective, my onetime advisory, reappears as my greatest ally.No coincidence that!

 In my work , nearly everyone I have met since my return is showing me some aspect of what I personnally encountered, again pure coincidence!!

I have spent a lot of my life going at pace,enjoying the action and getting a buzz out of doing the doing.Most of the time I was going to fast to notice the signpost, never mind what it said.The challange is to determine the pace and allow the time to see the  sign posts and to truely note what they say.

Isn’t it amazing how the people, the things ,the situations, just fall into place ,as if to conspire to help us,just when it matters most, when we allow ourselves to be open .

Of course when it all works out ,as it always does, we can put it down to coincidence!!!

Kickin & Screaming 16/23 0ct 2009

I ‘m writing my first note remotely.I’m in the South of France on a course,Healing the Five Wounds of Love.The weather is beautiful and I’m also getting to spend time with my Goddaughter Lia,and her mum and dad Tracey and Keith.I have just accessed my emails and even answered a few and now I’m updating my blog,comin’ into the 21st century or wha!!! I just spent an afternoon with a nearly 3 year old and boy did I learn.Staying  in the Now means playing chasing in the secret garden,watching cartoons or lighting a candle i n the church.No such thing as coincidence that I get to spend time in such a loving environment before my course.Anyway no more notes until the course is finished on the 25th. I’m being dragged into the technological age Kickin’ and Screaming.

Go with the flow 12-10-09

ian

 

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Signs, what Signs?? 09-10-09

My sister Siobhan is amazing.Since her 12 year old Oisin died, in June 07 , she has been an inspiration to me, in the way she has handled what is every parents worst nightmare.Siobhan has got on with her life as best she can and has shown us all that there is more going on in life than  may be apparent at the time.Siobhan is open in her conversations about Oisin and marks his birthday,anniversary and other events ,like leaving 6th class ,Christmas, the times and events that you would imagine would be easier to pass.She revels in keeping his energy alive and in our conciousness .She is highly sensitive ,as only a mother can be , to anything that relates to Oisin,whether that involves the past or indeed a feeling in the present.Ye know those goose bumpy moments when you feel some one is real close or even watching over you.Well what about this one!

A couple of weeks ago my aunt ,who was my godmother,died.Siobhan was on her way to call on my mum to sympathise and took a diversion into the ,Mind Body Spirit exhibition in Cork.There she met a few of her cronies who gave her some healing and did some readings.The common theme coming from both ladies was that Siobhan was entering a new phase of her life and to be aware of signs that would indicate what might be going on.Sobhan was telling me this after the removal and was excited at the prospect .

The following day ,Siobhan brought my mum to her seat at the front of the church after the Mass had begun,my mum is recovering from an operation and needed to avoid the crowds.Anyway, they slip into the pew and kneel to pray,with that, Siobhan turns to me with a startled look on her face .As we left the church Siobhan rushes up to talk to me,”did ye see that? “she says , “What ?” say I . “When I sat down, there in front of me,right in my line of vision,where I couldn’t but see it ,was Oisins name freshly scrawled into the seat,complete with the fada!What d’ya make of that?”"Amazing”,says I, what else could I say?

As we walked behind the hearse Siobhan comes up beside me,

“Well?”

“What did that woman say to you the other day?”

“What woman?”

“The one at the exhibition.”

Siobhan gasped as her hands cupped her fase,”A SIGN, oh my God , I never thought!”

See Siobhan ,like most of us, are waiting for the skies to part ,for the Man with the white beard to appear! More often than not the signs that can guide us are right there in front of us ,and are simple and obvious, we just have to get out of our own way to see them.