“My rushaholic reared it’s ugly head”

Posted by admin in Blog (Weekly), Blogs

Mar
13

I received an email from my friend Mary, in Rhode Island, responding to last week’s blog and here is what she wrote:

“Thank you for your blog because you always teach us a lesson and I am grateful for that.The way you handled the situation with the dance teacher was amazing and food for thought. I always look forward to Wednesday. It used to be “Prince Spaghetti Day” but now it’s “Pat’s Life Experience’s Day.” When I read your blog, it makes me feel as if I am talking to you, and that makes me feel happy inside.”

I thank Mary for sharing her thoughts because that is my intention for the blogs; to be as authentic as I can be and to be God’s instrument of love and peace. I believe we are all connected. I know the lessons I am learning each week are not just for me. I am humbled and grateful that so many of you have written to tell me how you are inspired by my walk in faith and how Spirit provides.

Before I share some of the synchronicities I experienced this week, I would like to share my lesson from Spirit.I recently found a small purple sticker that read PEACEAHOLIC. I bought it immediately and put it on my computer so I would see it daily. To live in peace and BE Peace is the desire of my heart. For many years, I was a RUSHAHOLIC and I multi-tasked. I prided myself on all the things I could do at once. I cannot stand to rush anymore because it robs me of my peace of mind. I strive to live in the moment and follow my intuition to lead me in what I need to do next. But those old behaviors rear their ugly head once in a while and the key is to be aware and awake when I notice myself rushing. When I found myself rushing around one morning, I stopped to journal about what was going on and asked myself, “Why am I rushing and why am I putting this self-induced pressure on myself?”

This is what Spirit revealed to me, “Rushing is about not trusting myself – that I will miss something or that I’m not doing something right or that I don’t know what is best for me.” I knew what was coming up was deep because for so many years I gave my power away by looking outside for my answers and thinking others knew what was best for me. I asked myself, “Who knows better than me what I need in my life?” I needed to love and forgive myself for not trusting myself for so many years. Today, I am happy to be a PEACEAHOLIC. As I drove home today from my massage, I spotted the bumper sticker on the car in front of me. It was PEACE IS POWER. Don’t you just love how God sends his messages to us?

This week has been a week of synchronicities and seeing God at work in my life and my friend’s life. I would like to share a few of the stories with you as they unfolded just because I showed up and said, “YES” to receiving all that God wanted to give me.

My friend, Trudy, gave me a beautiful framed print of an ocean scene with dolphins jumping out of the water and a man and woman embracing in the heavens. The picture is called Hi-I’Lei O Lani (Held in the Arms of Heaven) and the artist is Steve Sundram. She said, “It reminds me of the love between a man and a woman and this is my wish for you on Valentine’s Day. I have the picture hanging in my home also. I couldn’t wait to hang it in my ohana when I returned home that day.

held in arms picture

Trudy and I attended the Maui Open Studios this weekend where there were over 90 artists participating in the event. Since I am a “budding artist” and just learning to paint, it was so much fun going into the artists’ studios/homes and watching them paint and seeing their art. The last studio that we visited was in a gated community in Wailea (one of the most affluent areas of Maui.) We were overtaken when we pulled up to the house that overlooked the ocean with a beautiful pool in the front yard. The artist greeted us at the door with a warm smile and invited us to come in to see his paintings. I spotted the painting immediately when I walked in and realized I was in the presence of the artist who painted the picture “Held in the Arms of Heaven.”

Steve was happy to hear that his painting was hanging on our walls and how we were calling in our soul mates through his painting. He then told us the story of how he painted it and what he experienced when he moved to Maui. He said, “Living in Maui was like being held in the arms of heaven.” What a beautiful image and l agree living in Maui is like being held in the arms of heaven. Of course, I had to have my picture taken with him and I have his picture now with the painting on my wall.

Pat and steve

Another synchronicity happened when my friend, Jodie, asked me to give the yoga teacher the poem that she read at the last class because she wasn’t sure she was going to attend the next class. I asked her to read it to me since I was driving the car and hadn’t heard it yet. Jodie had no idea that one of my girlfriends had just broken up with her boyfriend and that the poem would be perfect for her. I couldn’t wait to get home and send it to my girlfriend. Shortly after I sent her the poem she emailed me back and said, “Thanks for the words because they are right on- especially the “graceful part.” I had to go to my boyfriend’s house yesterday to drop something off, and while I was there, I picked up an angel that he had at the door- GRACE. Appropriate as I go through the different levels of possible final responses. Here is the poem.

“There is a trick to the graceful exit. It begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage, a relationship is over – and let go. It means leaving what’s over without denying its validity or its past importance in our lives. It involves a sense of future, a belief that every exit line is an entry that we are moving on, rather than out. It’s hard to recognize that life isn’t a holding action but a process. It’s hard to learn that we don’t leave the best parts of ourselves behind, back in the dugout. We own what we learned back there. The experience and the growth are grafted onto our lives, and when we exit, we can take ourselves along – quite gracefully.” Author Ellen Goodman

Here is an amazing story of what I experienced with asking and receiving. As I was leaving church on Sunday, I was chatting with my friends, Jodie and Trudy. Jodie turned her head and spotted the beautiful picture of the Holy Spirit on the wall and nonchalantly said, “I really want that picture.” Trudy immediately responded and said, “I have that picture and I would like you to have it. One of my neighbors gave it to me and I don’t have a place for it in my home.” It is still rolled up in the box and it is signed by the artist! Jodie stood there speechless trying to hold back the tears. I love how Spirit works when we are ready to ASK & RECEIVE.

I was at the right place at the right moment. On Wednesdays several artists gather at different places on the island to paint together. Although I hadn’t painted that day with them, I walked around to see what the painters had painted. I didn’t recognize one of the artists and stopped to talk to him. I asked him, “How long have you been on Maui and where are you from?” He said, “I’m from Boise.” I replied, “Oh, my son is from Boise.” He said, “Boise is a small place, what’s his name?” I replied, “Tim Hastings.” His eyes lit up and he said, “I know Tim, he has a tattoo on his whole back, you’re Tim’s mother?” Neither one of us could believe it. This is the second time I’ve met someone on Maui that knew my son Tim. They say, “It’s a small world-and it sure is.” I love how Spirit works in my life and I love sharing it with you. I wish you peace.