Heyoeka

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Ever since I was a little girl, I've had the ability to listen to opposing sides of an argument, see the validity in each, and acknowledge their truth. At the time, I thought that for some reason I had no back bone-why couldn't I listen to these opposing sides, determine which was true and take a stand? I felt many times as if I was being tossed around on a stormy sea with no rudder!

Even as an adult I've dealt with this "problem." My children often called me when they were younger to complain about one of their siblings or their father. I would listen to the one with whom I was speaking, feeling all of his or her feelings, and become irate toward whichever other had caused these feelings of hurt and anger in them. Of course, the other would then call and tell me his or her side. I quickly learned that the stories I heard from each differed greatly, even to the point of sounding like a totally different set of circumstances! I was able once I figured this out to allow each one to speak their piece and leave them to work out their differences on their own. Until I came to that conclusion, I spent many miserable hours trying to figure out how to fix the situations.

We are now entering a new age when polar opposites are meeting for the purpose of creating a New Earth. People of differing backgrounds, beliefs and opinions are being called upon to come together to work for the good of the entire planet. There is a Lakota term, heyoeka, which means "the other." Any person, place, thing, situation-or voice in our head-that expresses differently than we do becomes "the other."

It has been customary to ignore or suppress "the other" in the past. When "the other" expresses itself, it's an uncomfortable feeling. Yet suppressing this expression, whether it comes from within ourselves or without, only gives it strength. It will keep coming up in bigger and bolder ways until we allow it to express fully. Listening to "the other" and allowing it to express doesn't mean we are going to act on that voice. Listening with an open heart without judgment, however, often reveals new or better ways to deal with a situation. A good question to ask yourself if you are feeling uncomfortable with what "the other" is saying is "why is this making me feel uncomfortable?" Once that question is answered, feelings of unease often disappear and we are free to work toward resolution in cooperation with "the other."

So often the voices of "the other" only want to be heard-and can handle being told "no." My elderly father has had to be in and out of the hospital several times over the last year and a half. Each time he moaned and groaned-okay, he bitched about it. But after being heard, he went ahead and did what the health care professionals recommended. All he needed was to be heard and acknowledged.

Working with hoyoeka provides the perfect tension between opposites to hold things together. May we be willing to give "the other" the chance to express itself to us and may we work toward bringing those opposites together to create the New Earth!

Namaste!

Dealing with Depression

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Depression is a common issue for a lot of us. For some people it's the time of year-although if this time of year is depressing, we can probably find a reason to be depressed any time of year. For others, there are family and relationship issues, financial issues, issues surrounding the massive change and chaos that surrounds us now. Depression is also a common symptom of ascension. I know. That doesn't make sense. Ascension should feel good-and it does. However, as we raise our vibration we often feel frustrated at how heavy it feels to live in a physical body. Yet this is what we came here to do-live in physical bodies and raise the vibration of ourselves and the planet.

A friend contacted me the other day and told me he was fighting feelings of depression. When I told him that I, too, was having with some depressive feelings, he asked what I do deal with it. The first thing that came to mind for me was that I no longer try to resist depression. "What you resist, persists" is so true. When I fight those dark thoughts and feelings, I only give them energy and make them stronger. They gain such strength that they consume me. So when I feel myself being pulled down into the depths, instead of fighting, I relax into the feelings and begin to look for the gift that hides in the darkness.

Accepting that everything is what it is instead of trying to make it what I want to make me comfortable is helpful. Being uncomfortable in a situation is a sure-fire way to get me to change and grow. But change can only begin from the point where I stand. I also remind myself that, even though I can't see it, the Universe is masterful at orchestrating events to get all of us-all of humanity-where it needs to be in any given moment.

Knowing I am never alone is helpful when I'm in the doldrums. Depression is usually accompanied by feelings of abandonment and isolation. The truth is that we are never alone, even when there isn't someone physically in the room with us. I have connections with other Lightworkers all over the planet. Regardless of where any of us is located, I'm always aware of their presence. All of us have friends who care about us. Just try posting on Facebook that you're in need of prayers-I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised at how many people really care about you!

Humility is essential for me to get through a depressive period-no matter how long it lasts. And that includes being humble enough to admit that I can't do it alone and being willing to ask for help. I've seen absolute miracles happen when I shed my persona of not needing anyone else. We are all part of the human family and now is the time for us to support one another, regardless of any differences we may have, and build and sustain community.

Staying in the eye of the storm is helpful to me also. As an Empath, I tend to feel everyone else's feelings. It can be very disconcerting and confusing to feel down in the dumps for no apparent reason. Discerning which feelings are mine and which are not clears away a lot of the depression. I find that very often I've let someone else's drama become my own. If I've hooked into it and been drawn back into the maelstrom, time to unhook myself.

I believe that we all deal with depression from time to time, some to greater degrees than others. With so much chaos in the world, it's hard never to feel depressed. However, unless we are in need of professional help and medication to get us through a crisis, we can look for the gift that is waiting for us in the dark.

Namaste!