The word, and even concept of "prayer" can be off-putting for some, especially if it's associated with religion or a man in the sky. But we can pray "knowing" the fulfillment of our prayers without religion or God. Honestly, God doesn't care if we believe in it or not. Prayers are still fulfilled regardless if we believe in a higher power.
Need a miracle? Learn how to create miracles in your own life and in the lives of the ones you love. Don't just pray for a miracle, become a place where miracles can happen. Spiritual growth is the gift that keeps on giving. It will allow you to become the greatest version of yourself while finally living the life you were always meant to live. Contact Donna Gershman for more information and for a Free Consultation at 818-904-6840 or email youwillheal@aol.com
Showing posts with label Fear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fear. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Pray Believing
Start by imagining that whatever you are seeking, is already fulfilled, has already been given. We don't need to wait for it because it's already done. Know that nothing is ever being withheld and that the Universe wants us to thrive.
In fact, maybe the universe is waiting for us to ALLOW what we want. What if the only thing that needs to actually happen is for us to believe, and to drop any and all fear of the prayer not being answered? What if our doubt and cynicism are what keep us from having what we truly want?
If Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things unseen, then the trick is, we must first believe in the answered prayer, before we can see the evidence of it. This is why I like to say,
"Affirmative Prayer Will Get You There!"
Pray affirming you already have the thing you seek, and it will surely find you.
To The Truth That Sets Us ALL Free,
Donna Gershman
PS. Are you ready to create miracles in your life? Would you like to learn how? Contact me for a free 15 minute Consultation at (818)904-6840 or email me at youwillheal@aol.com
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Chasing the Hare
Mr. Gerke made a difference. He was my high school English
teacher. One time, he assigned the class a creative writing project and gave us
an entire month to complete it. I remember having a great idea on what I would
write about, and being extremely excited to do it. But the entire month went by,
and when it came time to hand it in, I didn't.
Mr. Gerke came up to me after
class and without asking me why I didn't turn it in, he simply said, “Donna, I'm
giving you a homework assignment. I want you to go home and write the worst paper
you have ever written.” I looked at him bewildered. What did he mean by the
worst paper ever? How was I going to do that? And why? Then he made me promise
that no matter what, I would turn it in the next day.
So, I went home and proceeded to write what I considered to
be a really, bad paper. But still, I remember having thoughts like, “What if
this isn't bad enough?” “What do I have to do to make this worse?” and struggling
with the assignment. The next day, I begrudgingly passed it in. Mr. Gerke took
one look at it and immediately put an A+ at the top of the paper without so
much as reading a single sentence. I said to him, “Wait! Aren't you even going
to read it? And why are you giving me an A+ on a bad paper?”
Mr Gerke quietly turned to me and said, “Donna, what you
need to realize is that your worst, is better than most people’s best. All you
need to do, is just turn it in.” I could still cry when I think of that moment.
Mr. Gerke had the wisdom to know that my problem was not
that I didn't want to do the work, but that I was afraid to do it. I was afraid
of it not being perfect. I would have big ideas in my head, but somehow they
never seemed to be as good, once executed. This led me to feel that no matter
what I did, it was never as good as the actual idea and therefore always felt
that my work was not good enough.
Even then, as a child, I knew I was blessed
with great big ideas that were not necessarily coming from me. I knew I was
being gifted with them, but with that, came a great responsibility. Somehow, I
felt I was failing God by not having the final product match perfectly with the
original idea. That’s why I had a problem turning in my homework. It was often
more palatable for me to turn in nothing than to turn in something that didn’t
rise to the vision.
Mr. Gerke, in his wisdom recognized that I had a typical perfection
complex, the need to try to be perfect in everything I did. And by the way, I
still do. But, his words to me, still reverberate in my head 35 years later. “Just
turn it in.”
Now, when I counsel kids on the weekends who want to go to
college, and their parents tell me that their child does the homework, but
never turns it in, I think of Mr. Gerke, and how he made a young girl feel
seen and understood for the very first time. I tell them this story. I tell them they're good enough just as they are. I tell them to turn it in, no matter what.
I still struggle with
following through and completing things, but most of all, about feeling good about
the things I do complete. I have come to understand, that our idea of perfection is an
elusive counterpart. Like chasing the mechanical hare in a greyhound race, you will never catch up to it, and trying to, will only make you feel worse. Best thing to do is trust that the real assignment is not
how good something is, but whether you turned it in at all. Did you show up? Did you say yes? Did you allow the vision to be made real through you? If yes, then you've done your part. Feel good about it.
So, run your race, write your play, sing your song.... Know you are
good enough right now. The pursuit of perfection should never be the goal. It's knowing that whatever you do is perfect as it is, and you are perfect and always will be, just as you are.
To The Truth That Sets Us all Free,
Donna Gershman ALSP
Are you wanting to move forward on a dream, or to change something in your life? Do you feel stuck, and know you're in your own way? Let's move that boulder together. Feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com, or contact my office at (818)904-6840 for a free telephone consultation or 20 minute tune-UP! All sessions are conducted by telephone or Skype.
* PS. Thank you, Mr. Gerke. And, sorry for starting this sentence with AND.
Mr Gerke reading my article
Donna Gershman ALSP
Are you wanting to move forward on a dream, or to change something in your life? Do you feel stuck, and know you're in your own way? Let's move that boulder together. Feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com, or contact my office at (818)904-6840 for a free telephone consultation or 20 minute tune-UP! All sessions are conducted by telephone or Skype.
* PS. Thank you, Mr. Gerke. And, sorry for starting this sentence with AND.
Mr Gerke reading my article
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Initiation Into Power
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any." - Alice Walker
In the dream, I saw myself standing in front of my spiritual
teacher. In front of me, was a dark threatening force that carried a powerful
evil energy that was moving rapidly toward me. All I could feel was sheer
terror. I had never felt that kind of terror ever in my waking life. In that
moment, I looked behind me to see the terror on my teacher’s face, as well.
This is a man of great wisdom and knowledge, a man centered in love and peace.
I was shocked to see he was having the same reaction as me. I knew I had no
choice but to fight this force. I knew it was up to me.
Suddenly, I gathered all my fear, all my rage, all my anger,
and with all my power, I put my hands out in front of me and yelled,
“Noooooooooo” at the top of my lungs. This was not a "Nooo" from dread or from a pleading place in me. It was a definitive, declarative and absolute "NO". It was a " No" that was not up for debate. This is what I would describe as taking my power back. The dark force then
began to dissipate in front of me and disappear into nothingness.
I looked back at my teacher, and he had a look of awe and
respect on his face. Just then, the nightmare began all over again, exactly as
it had the first time. It was like being in an instant replay except is was
twice as fast. I saw the dark force, I looked behind me to see my teacher’s
face in terror, I turned once again towards the force with my hands stretched
out in front of me, but this time, I simply said, “No” without any fear,
without any anger without any rage. I just said "no". The force once again
dissipated in front of me and disappeared.
When I woke up, I felt different. I felt as if I had been
initiated into another way of being, one that showed me how powerful I really
am, and that nothing and no one had any power over me. I was certainly as powerful
as my teacher, and I was more powerful than evil. I would never again have to
fight against evil in my life, I could just refuse to give it any power over me. I could stand face-to-face with it, and know it was nothing pretending to be something,
I have understood on a deep level that nothing holds any
power over us unless we inadvertently, through fear for example, give our power
to it. I have practiced this principle for many years now with my clients who come
to me with so-called “terminal” illness, having been told that their illness
will decide their fate. My job is to remind them of their own power and that
their illness holds no power over them. That is the key to healing. That is the key to freedom. That is the key to true empowerment.
Nothing and no one has any power over us. Our government,
our leaders, our laws, nothing. Each of us holds a power equivalent to the
entire universe and beyond. When we know that, we will no longer feel powerless
to events or people. I believe we are here to remember the power that we hold, and to create fearlessly, knowing that nothing is truly against us, except us, and our own misguided beliefs.
Think about this for a moment. Everything is energy. When anything is reduced to it's most minute level, all that is left is energy, which never dies. It only changes form. So, if we all draw from the same energy source which is within us and all around us, how could someone have more power than you? They can't. All they can have is more belief in that than you. They might have more determination to use it, than you. But they can't actually have more access or more availability to it.
We can create the world we want to live in, by remembering how powerful we are, and by taking our power back from situations or people we have unconsciously given it away to through fear and false beliefs. There is no limit to what we can do with a mind and heart committed to good and a simple “No” to whatever fear or illusion of powerlessness that presents itself. Once you know how truly powerful you are, there will be no need to fight against anything. You will simply get clear about who you are, what you want, and remember who has the final say, you.
At this time in humanity, I urge all of us not to give our power away to anything, including situations, a diagnosis or people in so-called "authority" or power positions. It is time to stand in assurance that all is possible with an unshakeable belief in your own ultimate power to create. You are the supreme authority in your life, Create whatever you can imagine, through the power of your belief and being undaunted by anything or anyone outside of you.
Donna Gershman ALSP
PS. Are you ready to start living the life you deserve but know you must get out of your own way to have it? You don't have to do it alone. Feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com or contact my office at (818)904-6840 to set up a free consultation or 20 Minute Tune-UP! All sessions are conducted by telephone and or Skype.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Greater Things Than These
This is a hard blog to write. I’ve been sitting on this one for a while. I just have to be honest about it, I’ve been a little afraid to write it. You see, in telling this particular story, it means I have to come clean on a few things; things I’ve been afraid to tell the world. It’s never my intention to offend anyone, but I’m afraid this blog may do just that. I have come to the conclusion, however, that I must tell my truth regardless of how others may view it. So here it goes, come what may.
On June 20th of this year, I experienced an undeniable miracle. Now, many of you know that in my line of work as a healer, I often experience miracles, and I haven’t been shy about sharing those with you. But this one is different. This one has had a profound effect on me and has changed me forever.
So here’s where I have to come clean. One hour before this miracle took place, I had a conversation with Jesus. (To my Jewish family and friends, you may want to sit down for the rest of this). Here’s the back story:
I consider Jesus to be my teacher; my main inspiration as a healer.
However, for most of my life I didn’t even believe Jesus was real. He was like a fictional character that someone came up with to help teach parables through. In my mind, he never existed. In growing up Jewish, there seemed to be so much taboo around the name Jesus that it seemed safer just to stay away from the subject altogether. As I got older, I found I would cringe every time I heard the word “Jesus”. It just made me uncomfortable. When I was at Agape, which is a trans-denominational Spiritual Center, every time I would hear them refer to Jesus the Christ, I felt like there was a conspiracy to turn me Christian, and I would freak a little.
But one day, about 15 years ago, all that changed. I had my first encounter with Jesus.
He literally just showed up. One day, I was alone in my friend’s living room waiting for her so we could go to lunch. Suddenly, something came over me…..out of nowhere. It was a tidal wave of Love that was so big, it consumed me. There was simply no room for anything else to exist…and the love was personal, it was for ME. It had a name tag attached to it too…I knew exactly whose love it was. There was no thinking necessary. It was clear. It was Jesus.
Jesus simply said to me, “I know you don’t believe in me, and that’s ok. I just wanted you to know that I love you.” And that was it. The love permeated me for several minutes and then it was gone…but it’s something I will never ever forget. What struck me was that he asked me for nothing. He didn’t say I had to believe in him. He didn’t ask me to change my life, nothing. He just wanted me to know that he loved me; his love was truly unconditional.
After that, there was no debating that he was real for me. I went on an immediate exploration to find anything that Jesus had actually said while he was here. I wasn’t interested in other people’s interpretations of what he said. I wanted to hear exactly what his words were. There were two things that I found that he said that really impacted me. First he said “It is done unto you as you believe” which seemed to me, the greatest secret to how things work, why things happen, and how to change them.
Secondly, and this is what inspired me to be a healer, he said “Greater things than these ye shall do”. He was referring to the many miracles that he performed while here. This leads me to the miracle I experienced on June 20th. I bet you thought I would never get around to telling you.
So, that morning I was reflecting on my clients and how far I felt they had all come. This was an interesting revelation of sorts for me. I almost never take a retrospective look like this. I’m usually just focused on what’s in front of me. At the same time, I felt a momentary frustration and decided to talk to Jesus, who I lovingly refer to now as my Brother. I said to Jesus, “Well, I’m grateful all my clients are doing well, but Jesus you said, ’Greater things than these shall I do’, like greater than raise the dead and heal the blind! This is what you said, and that’s what I want. I want to maintain that kind of Consciousness, so that healings take place instantly. After all Jesus, you never said ‘pick up your bed and walk’… AND come back in two weeks so I can make sure you’re still alive. Your healings took place instantly. There was no waiting involved. This is what I want.” My words to Jesus that morning are now haunting me.
One hour later, I was walking my little 7 lb. dog Max on our cul-de-sac, where I walk him several times a day. Just at that moment, one of my neighbors accidentally left their front door open and their 50 lb. Boxer charged out of their house and attacked Max before we could see it coming. It happened so fast, there was no time to react. I couldn’t get to my dog fast enough. The boxer had Max in his jaws and I saw him crunch down on his head. My dog went limp and it was all over. My mind could not fully comprehend what was happening. I knew my dog was dead, but a bigger part of me was not having it.
I heard the words loudly in my head that I tell my clients every day. “God is FOR you! There is nothing against you! There is no death in God!” Suddenly, everything came to a standstill. It was like I stepped out of time completely. What was seemingly impossible became possible. The next thing I knew, I had my hands in the jaw of the Boxer and I pried her mouth open. My dog’s body fell into my arms. In a flash, I remember seeing the boxer’s face looking at me, as if she had no idea what had just happened.
I ran back to my house with my dog in my arms. There were no signs of life. One part of me had no idea what to do. Our veterinarian was not close by. I had no idea where there was an emergency hospital to take him. If I had been judging by the appearances, I would have just brought him inside my house, laid him down somewhere and cried. But there was this other part of me that was more in charge. It was telling me what to do. It said, “Get in the car” so I did. I backed out of my driveway with Max still on my lap. I knew I could not take my hands off of him. Just then, my neighbor Joe saw me. He later told me he saw blood all over my face and that’s why he stopped me. He asked what happened and if I wanted him to drive. He took my place behind the wheel as I held Max in the passenger’s seat. I still had no idea where to go, but Spirit kept talking to me, all the while Joe kept asking me, “which way?” I would chime in “take a left, take a right”…like I knew where we were going. In the meantime, I was praying like a fiend over Max who had not moved in several minutes. His eyes had become cloudy and he was clearly not in his body. My mind would not let me accept what seemed obvious. I just kept praying over him and saying things like, “get back in your body! You’re not going today!” along with everything I knew about God. “God is right where you are, Max. God is in every cell of your body. God is your life….” And so on. In between declarations, I would look up and say to Joe, “get in the left lane, pass that car, take a left here”, not knowing where we were headed until we got there. Just as we pulled into an emergency animal hospital, Max came back into his body and began to breathe again. He had been gone for several minutes, the entire time it took for us to find this place that God directed me to.
Without going into every detail, I can tell you that every moment was orchestrated from “on high”, as we say at Agape. God was in charge. I felt it. I felt inwardly connected, guided, directed, and informed in every moment. I might not have known what was coming, but I knew that all was well. There were times, in fact that I noticed I was being “more dramatic” than my inner directives were calling for. I guess I thought drama seemed appropriate given the outer circumstances. But somewhere inside of me, despite the obvious challenges of what I was moving through, despite the workings of my “need to know and understand everything” mind, despite my tendency to entertain doubt at times, there was a strong and palpable TRUTH inviting me to know it.
Today, Max is fully recovered… with the exception of losing his sight in his left eye. The irony of that has not escaped me.
Every day I remind him that he has no limitations in God and that God is seeing clearly through him…. My guess is though, that it is not Max that needs reminding at all. This part of the lesson plan, “to heal the blind” I am still working on.
I feel as though I have been initiated into another level as a healer. It is humbling.
I know that the power that came through me that day that declared the experience I was choosing to have, and denied any other, and the conviction of my mind and words, ultimately created the outcome that I experienced. Somehow, I leaned into all I knew about God, and was able to take an experience that was scary, horrifying and negative and stand in a place of “knowing the good” and insist on it. I will be forever grateful for the inner guidance (God’s clear direction) that supported me in being able to do that.
“It is done unto you as you believe” and “greater things than these ye shall do” are words that invite us to challenge ourselves to become more than we ever imagined possible. Jesus wasn’t just speaking to the healers when he spoke these words. He was speaking to all of us, beckoning us to go beyond our fear based linear minds, to know how powerful we truly are, and to use our minds to create the “Good” we seek to experience, as well as truly deserve.
As dramatic as this may sound, it is important to understand that YOU are MORE powerful than any challenging human experience you may be having. If the experience has you in a whirlwind, then the tail is wagging the dog, so to speak. You have given your power away to the circumstance. However, if in a moment of real clarity, you decide to allow a different experience more to your liking, then, and only then, will you be standing in your true power in God. In the midst of any challenging situation, there is a good that is waiting for you to claim. You have the power to do that.
To the Truth that sets us All Free,
Donna Gershman ALSP
PS. You can heal, and you don't have to do it alone! If you or someone you know needs support in healing any issue, whether it be physical, emotional, mental or spiritual, please feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com, or contact my office at (818)904-6840 for a free telephone consultation.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Sometimes, It Doesn't Have to Make Sense!
I can be stubborn. (Stop laughing!) And, I'm not afraid to admit it. Sometimes it works for me, and unfortunately, sometimes it gets in my way. On one occasion this past fall, it almost led me to make a really poor decision. The worst part is, I would never have known what a poor decision it was, or what I would have missed out on, had I made it.
So, here's the problem: My head.
I think too much. I analyze. I try and figure everything out. I line up all my ducks. I make my pluses and minuses list. I go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth until I'm exhausted, and sometimes I even avoid making a decision and let the chips fall where they may, and consider that my decision. You see, things have to make sense to me. If they don't make sense, if I don't see how everything is going to work, I get "Yes" phobic.
In September, when I least expected it, certainly wasn't looking for it, and didn't want it, a dog came into my life....and let me just say for the record, I was NOT ready!!!! I did NOT want to be tied down!!! I did NOT want to lose my freedom!!! I did NOT want to take care of anyone else!!! I did NOT want to clean up poopie messes, go to the vet, find people to babysit, feel guilty when I have to leave him alone for the day, overnight with someone, or God forbid have to get coverage for an entire week if I travel.
I did NOT want to face decisions regarding vaccination, heart worm or worry about deer ticks. Did I mention that I was NOT ready??? Oh yeah, while we're on the subject, I did NOT want to love something so much again, like my last dog Scruffy and have to watch him get old, sick and die. No, I did NOT want to re-live the pain of letting go of something I loved, all too soon.
So, there I was....with all my reasons why I wasn't ready...which no one blamed me for...after all, all my reasons were reasonable; they made perfect sense. So then, why on God's green earth did I say yes???? Why did I agree to go see that little ball of fluff in the first place? And why oh why, did I agree to take him home and care for him til death do us part?
It's simple...my heart screwed up my plan. I picked him up, he melted in my arms, the rest is history. He was mine.
Seven months later, I can't imagine my life without Max. When I think back to how sure I was about NOT being ready, all I can do is laugh and Thank God I let my heart open again, just in the nick of time.
Love is a risk, isn't it? But let's face it, the payoff is big! So can be the payoff for saying "Yes", when all your "reasons" point to NO. Sometimes, it doesn't have to make sense.
The truth is, the greatest things that have ever happened to me, happened only after I got out of my own way, when I said YES, even though I was scared to, and when I trusted in something bigger than all my reasons.
I have learned that every decision we make is made from either Faith or from Fear, and that it's okay to be afraid, as long as I do it anyway.....
I wish you the many blessings that come, with decisions made from Faith!
To The Truth That Sets Us All Free,
Donna Gershman ALSP
PS. You can heal, and you don't have to do it alone! If you or someone you know needs support in healing an issue, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual, please feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com or contact my office at (818)904-6840 for a free telephone consultation.
So, here's the problem: My head.
I think too much. I analyze. I try and figure everything out. I line up all my ducks. I make my pluses and minuses list. I go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth until I'm exhausted, and sometimes I even avoid making a decision and let the chips fall where they may, and consider that my decision. You see, things have to make sense to me. If they don't make sense, if I don't see how everything is going to work, I get "Yes" phobic.
In September, when I least expected it, certainly wasn't looking for it, and didn't want it, a dog came into my life....and let me just say for the record, I was NOT ready!!!! I did NOT want to be tied down!!! I did NOT want to lose my freedom!!! I did NOT want to take care of anyone else!!! I did NOT want to clean up poopie messes, go to the vet, find people to babysit, feel guilty when I have to leave him alone for the day, overnight with someone, or God forbid have to get coverage for an entire week if I travel.
I did NOT want to face decisions regarding vaccination, heart worm or worry about deer ticks. Did I mention that I was NOT ready??? Oh yeah, while we're on the subject, I did NOT want to love something so much again, like my last dog Scruffy and have to watch him get old, sick and die. No, I did NOT want to re-live the pain of letting go of something I loved, all too soon.
So, there I was....with all my reasons why I wasn't ready...which no one blamed me for...after all, all my reasons were reasonable; they made perfect sense. So then, why on God's green earth did I say yes???? Why did I agree to go see that little ball of fluff in the first place? And why oh why, did I agree to take him home and care for him til death do us part?
It's simple...my heart screwed up my plan. I picked him up, he melted in my arms, the rest is history. He was mine.
Seven months later, I can't imagine my life without Max. When I think back to how sure I was about NOT being ready, all I can do is laugh and Thank God I let my heart open again, just in the nick of time.
Love is a risk, isn't it? But let's face it, the payoff is big! So can be the payoff for saying "Yes", when all your "reasons" point to NO. Sometimes, it doesn't have to make sense.
The truth is, the greatest things that have ever happened to me, happened only after I got out of my own way, when I said YES, even though I was scared to, and when I trusted in something bigger than all my reasons.
I have learned that every decision we make is made from either Faith or from Fear, and that it's okay to be afraid, as long as I do it anyway.....
To The Truth That Sets Us All Free,
Donna Gershman ALSP
PS. You can heal, and you don't have to do it alone! If you or someone you know needs support in healing an issue, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual, please feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com or contact my office at (818)904-6840 for a free telephone consultation.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Getting Out of Here Alive
Lately, I seem to be preoccupied with the subject of death.
(....What did she just say???? Did she just say the "D" word?)
Okay, hear me out...
Look, I realize that death is not everyone's favorite subject....and it's certainly not mine, but it's on my mind a lot these days. Maybe it's because I lost a friend recently, or because this past year I had a close call myself, or maybe because I am dangerously approaching the big 5-0. I'm not sure, but the thing that I am realizing more than anything, is that I have spent most of my life dodging the subject. I don't want to think about it, face it, and least of all, embrace it. That would be like a direct invitation to the grim reaper, himself. I will have no part of it! I will get out of here alive, if it's the last thing I do!!! In fact, I have decided to skirt death altogether. Who's with me?
The truth is though, I'm just plain tired of running from it, avoiding it at all cost, resisting it, worrying, obsessing, freaking, negotiating, bargaining, bartering, being a good little girl, and all the other things I do to fend it off. Let's face it, it takes a lot of energy, energy I could be using for something more inspired.
Maybe it's just time to stop running....to accept it, to look death straight into it's little beedie eyes and say,
"I surrender, take me already!" It would probably be a welcomed relief from all these "death deferring" antics of mine. Who knows, maybe then I can really begin to live.
I don't know about you, but a lot of what has scared me about death is not knowing what's going to happen.
Wait....isn't that the SAME EXACT reason I have for every fear of mine?
This has me thinking: Maybe I do know how it's all going to end. Maybe I can deal with the idea of death, the same way I deal with everything else in my Life.
When a situation presents itself to me, first, I ACCEPT what IS.
Then I TRUST what IS.....
(in other words, I trust that what IS, is not happening for no reason at all, and is not meant to be a punishment, but rather happening by Divine Purpose.)
Next, I EMBRACE the idea that what IS, is actually good, and is for me.
(so, I don't need to resist what IS, because that just leads to more pain).
Finally, I OPEN to seeing the gift in what IS.
This formula has helped me through many events in my life, that at first seemed like insurmountable challenges, with the result being Grace and Ease versus suffering and struggle.
Of course, death seems like a pretty sizable challenge. Not your everyday variety of letting go, is it?
But, I'm pretty sure that's why it comes last.....
To The Truth That Sets Us All Free,
PS. You can heal, and you don't need to do it alone! If you or someone you know needs support in healing a physical, emotional or spiritual issue, please feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com or contact my office at (818)904-6840.
(....What did she just say???? Did she just say the "D" word?)
Okay, hear me out...
Look, I realize that death is not everyone's favorite subject....and it's certainly not mine, but it's on my mind a lot these days. Maybe it's because I lost a friend recently, or because this past year I had a close call myself, or maybe because I am dangerously approaching the big 5-0. I'm not sure, but the thing that I am realizing more than anything, is that I have spent most of my life dodging the subject. I don't want to think about it, face it, and least of all, embrace it. That would be like a direct invitation to the grim reaper, himself. I will have no part of it! I will get out of here alive, if it's the last thing I do!!! In fact, I have decided to skirt death altogether. Who's with me?
The truth is though, I'm just plain tired of running from it, avoiding it at all cost, resisting it, worrying, obsessing, freaking, negotiating, bargaining, bartering, being a good little girl, and all the other things I do to fend it off. Let's face it, it takes a lot of energy, energy I could be using for something more inspired.
Maybe it's just time to stop running....to accept it, to look death straight into it's little beedie eyes and say,
"I surrender, take me already!" It would probably be a welcomed relief from all these "death deferring" antics of mine. Who knows, maybe then I can really begin to live.
I don't know about you, but a lot of what has scared me about death is not knowing what's going to happen.
Wait....isn't that the SAME EXACT reason I have for every fear of mine?
This has me thinking: Maybe I do know how it's all going to end. Maybe I can deal with the idea of death, the same way I deal with everything else in my Life.
When a situation presents itself to me, first, I ACCEPT what IS.
Then I TRUST what IS.....
(in other words, I trust that what IS, is not happening for no reason at all, and is not meant to be a punishment, but rather happening by Divine Purpose.)
Next, I EMBRACE the idea that what IS, is actually good, and is for me.
(so, I don't need to resist what IS, because that just leads to more pain).
Finally, I OPEN to seeing the gift in what IS.
This formula has helped me through many events in my life, that at first seemed like insurmountable challenges, with the result being Grace and Ease versus suffering and struggle.
Of course, death seems like a pretty sizable challenge. Not your everyday variety of letting go, is it?
But, I'm pretty sure that's why it comes last.....
To The Truth That Sets Us All Free,
Donna Gershman ALSP
PS. You can heal, and you don't need to do it alone! If you or someone you know needs support in healing a physical, emotional or spiritual issue, please feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com or contact my office at (818)904-6840.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Turbulence
A couple of years ago, after a month of traveling, I boarded a red-eye flight from California to return home to Massachusetts. Although I had a connecting flight, I imagined being able to sleep most of the way. My first flight to Dallas was uneventful, just like you hope for. The connecting flight from Dallas however, was not.
About an hour into the 3 ½ hour flight, in seemingly perfect weather, my plane started to shake and be tossed uncontrollably in the jet stream. I’ve certainly experienced turbulence before while flying, but nothing like this. The pilot attempted several quick maneuvers to avoid it, but to no avail. We were told not to leave our seats under any circumstances, and to keep our seatbelts fastened. The flight attendants remained in their seats, as well. For the next two hours, we had virtually no relief from the constant thrashing about of the plane. Other than the loud racket of carry-on luggage banging in the overhead storage compartments, you could hear a pin drop from the passengers on board.
I prayed for a full two hours non-stop. I prayed for the plane. I prayed to live. I prayed for the pilot, the passengers, and the skies to quiet. I prayed for peace, calm, knowingness. I prayed for faith. I prayed for everything I could think of, in every way I could pray.
Several times, I had morbid thoughts of the plane being torn apart, or plummeting through the sky and crashing, and I would quickly erase the thoughts and start over, praying for peace. I prayed every imaginable form of prayer from the begging and beseeching prayer, to the bargaining prayer, to my most commonly used affirmative prayer and finally to the “this is not happening to me” denial prayer.
It must sound funny, but denial prayers are powerful. Saying “No, I will not accept this experience for myself”, or “No, I will not go down this road in my Consciousness”, has saved me on many occasions. I often say, that our beliefs are what form our experience. Therefore, where we dwell in our thoughts, and subsequent feelings is critical.
I found myself literally battling my own thoughts, swinging between the morbid ones, to the positive thoughts, and to everything in between. “Make a decision”, I remember thinking. “Choose a side already!” But my fear would not subside.
I battled until I became completely exhausted and surrendered. Then something gave way in me, and for a single moment, I felt absolutely no fear.
I had touched something very deep inside, a place that was beyond the physical, and that was completely un-harmable. I knew this place. It was oddly familiar to me, and in it I knew I would be alright, no matter what happened, even if I was to die on that plane.
A peace that goes beyond all human understanding came over me. I glimpsed my eternal connection to all Life. I was Free.
The plane continued to be tossed violently, but I no longer was. My experience from that moment forward changed. I’m not going to say that I enjoyed it, but I will say it no longer had any power over me.
Just minutes before we landed, we got our only other communication from the pilot. He said that it was the worse turbulence that he and his co-pilot had experienced in 15 years, the worst in their career flying. Mine too.
When the plane finally landed, and I made it into the terminal, I cried tears of gratitude for my life, for the power to see beyond all human experiences, and for touching the place within me that is always rock solid, anchored, fully awake, un-shakable, un-botherable, un-harmable and which stretches far beyond my physical life on planet earth. This is the same place that connects us all.
Just days after my return home, the Haiti earthquake struck. Like many, I had been watching the stories coming out of the rescue effort. I couldn’t help but notice a common denominator in several of the stories about survivors that were pulled from the rubble days and even weeks afterwards. When interviewed, each one said they were not afraid. They knew they would be found alive. One woman was even singing while they were pulling her out. Her song was “Do not be afraid of death”.
If and when Turbulence occurs in your life, whether it’s an illness or something else, just know, there is a place within you right now that is more real than anything else. It can never leave you or forsake you. It will love you, comfort you, guide you, and see you through, come what may. I believe this to be the place, that when touched, brings about a complete healing. Give it your full attention and the turbulence before you, will become powerless.
To the Truth that Sets Us All Free,
Donna Gershman ALSP
PS. You can heal, and you don't need to do it alone! If you or someone you know needs support in healing a disease, illness, chronic condition, injury or pain, please feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com or contact my office at (818)904-6840.
About an hour into the 3 ½ hour flight, in seemingly perfect weather, my plane started to shake and be tossed uncontrollably in the jet stream. I’ve certainly experienced turbulence before while flying, but nothing like this. The pilot attempted several quick maneuvers to avoid it, but to no avail. We were told not to leave our seats under any circumstances, and to keep our seatbelts fastened. The flight attendants remained in their seats, as well. For the next two hours, we had virtually no relief from the constant thrashing about of the plane. Other than the loud racket of carry-on luggage banging in the overhead storage compartments, you could hear a pin drop from the passengers on board.
I prayed for a full two hours non-stop. I prayed for the plane. I prayed to live. I prayed for the pilot, the passengers, and the skies to quiet. I prayed for peace, calm, knowingness. I prayed for faith. I prayed for everything I could think of, in every way I could pray.
Several times, I had morbid thoughts of the plane being torn apart, or plummeting through the sky and crashing, and I would quickly erase the thoughts and start over, praying for peace. I prayed every imaginable form of prayer from the begging and beseeching prayer, to the bargaining prayer, to my most commonly used affirmative prayer and finally to the “this is not happening to me” denial prayer.
It must sound funny, but denial prayers are powerful. Saying “No, I will not accept this experience for myself”, or “No, I will not go down this road in my Consciousness”, has saved me on many occasions. I often say, that our beliefs are what form our experience. Therefore, where we dwell in our thoughts, and subsequent feelings is critical.
I found myself literally battling my own thoughts, swinging between the morbid ones, to the positive thoughts, and to everything in between. “Make a decision”, I remember thinking. “Choose a side already!” But my fear would not subside.
I battled until I became completely exhausted and surrendered. Then something gave way in me, and for a single moment, I felt absolutely no fear.
I had touched something very deep inside, a place that was beyond the physical, and that was completely un-harmable. I knew this place. It was oddly familiar to me, and in it I knew I would be alright, no matter what happened, even if I was to die on that plane.
A peace that goes beyond all human understanding came over me. I glimpsed my eternal connection to all Life. I was Free.
The plane continued to be tossed violently, but I no longer was. My experience from that moment forward changed. I’m not going to say that I enjoyed it, but I will say it no longer had any power over me.
Just minutes before we landed, we got our only other communication from the pilot. He said that it was the worse turbulence that he and his co-pilot had experienced in 15 years, the worst in their career flying. Mine too.
When the plane finally landed, and I made it into the terminal, I cried tears of gratitude for my life, for the power to see beyond all human experiences, and for touching the place within me that is always rock solid, anchored, fully awake, un-shakable, un-botherable, un-harmable and which stretches far beyond my physical life on planet earth. This is the same place that connects us all.
Just days after my return home, the Haiti earthquake struck. Like many, I had been watching the stories coming out of the rescue effort. I couldn’t help but notice a common denominator in several of the stories about survivors that were pulled from the rubble days and even weeks afterwards. When interviewed, each one said they were not afraid. They knew they would be found alive. One woman was even singing while they were pulling her out. Her song was “Do not be afraid of death”.
If and when Turbulence occurs in your life, whether it’s an illness or something else, just know, there is a place within you right now that is more real than anything else. It can never leave you or forsake you. It will love you, comfort you, guide you, and see you through, come what may. I believe this to be the place, that when touched, brings about a complete healing. Give it your full attention and the turbulence before you, will become powerless.
To the Truth that Sets Us All Free,
Donna Gershman ALSP
PS. You can heal, and you don't need to do it alone! If you or someone you know needs support in healing a disease, illness, chronic condition, injury or pain, please feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com or contact my office at (818)904-6840.
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