Denny Daikeler is amazing. She puts into words what so many of us need to think about. Most people live their lives oblivious to the little 'magical' messages. It is in this guidance that there is a POWER out there patiently waiting, aware of our travails. It will steer our lives, if only we will look deeper. Daikeler sees the magic, is in touch with the POWER that lives around us, so ready to give us faith and fortitude. The 'Message' is there for us . . . if only we choose to see and believe. -Jonathan Daly, actor and playwright Every story in this book is true and happened exactly as it's written down. Each will expand your awareness and show you how magical, how limitless, and how truly connected life can be if you open to the possibility. Trust, a leap of faith, and an open mind are all that's required. This book is about a journey of wonder, and it's anyone's to live.
MESSAGES
FLOWING WITH SYNCHRONICITYBy DENNY DAIKELERBALBOA PRESS
Copyright © 2012 Denny Daikeler
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4525-4323-9Contents
Acknowledgements......................................................viiIntroduction..........................................................xiChapter One: Asking..................................................1Chapter Two: Listening And Knowing...................................16Chapter Three: Beyond Amazing........................................24Chapter Four: Widening the Circle....................................32Chapter Five: Energy in Motion.......................................39Chapter Six: Journey to Safety.......................................49Chapter Seven: Following The Light...................................58Chapter Eight: Challenging Beliefs...................................71Chapter Nine: Squirrels and Cats, Oh My!.............................87Chapter Ten: Lightbulbs and Ahas!....................................98Chapter Eleven: Forgiveness and Transcendence........................111Chapter Twelve: A Butter Churn? A Sycamore Tree?.....................124Chapter Thirteen: Sourcing From Within...............................135
Chapter One
Asking
The constant experience of the universe through numerous instances of what seems like chance, or amazing coincidence can be traced back to you, what your thoughts have been. It all will finally bring about a feeling of wonder, certainty, gratitude, and finally joy!
I'd often heard owls hooting in the woods surrounding my home. Their piercing sound would sometimes wake me up from a sound sleep in the middle of the night, or sometimes in the early morning. Often I'd hear their hoot at the end of a day just after the trees had made long shadows across my yard. Whenever there were owls hooting, it caught my attention.
I really yearned to see these owls. Their songs seemed so haunting to me, and I loved when one owl's hoot would be answered by another. It was as if they were speaking to each other. Whether it was one or two, I'd listen carefully to try to decide the direction from which their sound was coming, and then I'd race to every window in the house hoping the owl or owls would be there. Over and over again I'd make this wild dash. It was like a ritual. I'd hear the signal, listen, guess and then run for the successful sighting sure that they'd leave before I'd get there. Over and over again I would find the tree branches bare, no owlish form appearing singing its reverie. But yes, I could still hear their song.
This quest went on for so long and was sometimes frustrating and sometimes humorous. My efforts didn't payoff.
Through all of this I felt some form of the Divine. There seemed to be some message lurking in the shadows for me, and I wanted to know what the message was. I felt such a desire to SEE THIS CREATURE. Hearing it was just not enough. And I really wanted to believe that I could make this happen.
Finally one morning at dawn, I again heard "this rooster" call from the limb on some tree, at some side of the house. This time I did not spring out of my bed to frantically search every window to catch its presence. Instead I simply ASKED. I sat up in bed and asked to see the owl. "I want to see the owl," I said. "I want to see the owl!"
In that moment I must admit there truly came to me a knowing that sooner or later the owl would present itself to me. I might again franticly pursue the silhouette through the branches, but I was in a new place with this game. There was a new "knowing" that putting out my desire and then trusting was a huge step forward, one that could unlock this mystery forever.
I don't know how long it took for the owl to come to me. I did not journal and date my request. But one morning before the sun was up, as I was beginning to start my day, I heard a great deal of noise outside. I ignored it at first for I was busy and distracted. The clamor persisted growing louder and more piercing all the time. Suddenly I stopped and just opened to it. "What's going on?" I thought. "That is such a racket! Some very agitated crows must be robbing a nest of its eggs."
And then all of the sudden I knew I was being called! I knew the owl was there. I raced to the window with great excitement and confidence. And there it was high up on a branch in a tree nearby. It was huge!
It was a magnificent Great Horned Owl sitting very still and profound, looking right down at me. I tell you my world stopped. Moments seemed to stretch and grow as if they were hours as I communed with this beloved bird. My head felt like it was spinning. My eyes were struggling as if they were cameras trying to record everything, every detail. The two of us were transfixed¼ and then we were complete. Slowly, carefully, deliberately it opened its wings to the widest expanse I could have imagined and lifted itself away to the sky.
I had my moment, and I knew it was a birth for me, a communion of the highest sort. I had discovered new possibilities. My lifetime belief in limitation was lifting; the one that says that only we humans can relate to each other or hear each other, that owls and other birds are just beautiful beings with wings and songs that decorate our world, reproduce, and hold in balance the food chain. Owls were teaching me. They were like gifts, possible companions, messengers, God filled entities. Somehow out in space or no space, this creature had heard me, and it had come to me in response to my request.
My new approach to receiving what I wanted was far away from hoping now, and more like a command, or clear intention. It really felt like a dance. Its first step began the moment I stopped searching and set an intention to wait, to wait instead of forcing, for a visit. I loved the feeling of patience and confidence (and even contentment!) that accompanied the asking. I didn't know what was going to happen or how it was going to happen, but I really hoped for some connection with this other world, and I wanted to believe in it and my power to make it happen. Maybe it wasn't even another world. But that's how it seemed to me.
Tools To Assist You on Your Soul Journey
I urge you to consider these last paragraphs important for they hold more delicious stories and perspectives and design the way you might want to move forward on your journey All of us have our own perceptions of what works for us. These are mine. The last paragraphs of this chapter offer you a chance to identify my perspective and compare it to or even expand your own.
Non-Physical Tools
Light
There is light inside of you! That light is the Divine. It is in everyone. Sometimes it is not working because it's been forgotten, like when you're really down on yourself and not feeling self-love.
With your imagination and trust, you can move this light within your body around to relieve pain, send healing, and expand your being. Another word for it is energy. It's yours to use on your self, or to send to someone else. It has no boundaries, no exceptions, and no limitations. It is a gift of life.
A beautiful story a friend shared with me was about a young boy, Jack, who was about three and a half. Jack had misbehaved and disappeared. His mother found him hiding under the dining room table, and asked him what was wrong. "I don't like who I am," he said.
His wise mother said, "Jack you know that light inside of your toy?"
There's that same light inside of you! "Ever since that moment, Jack has remembered the message. He'll suddenly say to his Mommy, "Mommy, I'm thinking about that light inside of me."
Oh, that all of us would have learned about that light inside at age 3 ½!
Thoughts
Your thoughts are what manifest everything in your life. It's as simple as that. I hardly have to say more, except I will mention that when you're thinking something isn't going to work, it is as powerful, as when you're thinking that something is going to work. Consider this an important statement!
Beliefs
Your beliefs impact your thoughts, No matter how intelligent you are, or what great work you're reading, if you have a contrary belief, you will not accept the material. This may keep you very stuck! An open heart and a good dose of allowing can be a great help!
I will suggest that you suspend your beliefs as you read this book. Being open keeps possibilities flowing.
Meditating.
The meditative state is a state of being that you achieve with practice. It serves you tremendously. It can be you sitting very still with a peaceful mind, or you totally absorbed in a process such as painting, writing, sewing, sculpting, or doing some form of yoga or movement. Then your mind is empty of chatter, worry, angst, and deliberation. Peace has a chance to move in! I sometimes see purple and a yellow green when I've reached a deep state of meditation.
Meditation may already be your everyday practice. That's great if it is! It truly enhances your journey. It is a subtle tool and takes discipline! If sitting still, peacefully and comfortably is the form you choose to do, daily empty your mind and focus on your breath whenever and wherever it feels good, and for as much time as you wish. I even do it in waiting rooms and airline terminals.
A great way to begin is to formulate a question or questions such as who am I? Why am I here? What do I want? And then easily and quietly listen to your breath. When it's difficult to keep from thinking about your life, ask your impulsive thoughts to step aside. Sometimes picturing the computer's "trash can" in your mind and deliberately scooting your thoughts away is helpful.
I had a shaman once tell me that it was time for me to change my beginning question. She said I now know who I am. I muddle everything when I re-ask the question. Instead she said I might ask, "What is my next step?" You might also, want to phrase a question around some synchronicity or sighting that you've experienced. Answers to your questions may not come during the meditation, but rest assured that they will come, and when they do you may want to journal. The messages will help you SEE AND FEEL your journey! There are so many good books on meditation.
Journaling
I'm sure you've used journaling before, but if you have not, it is amazing how it can lead you along to some very deep feelings, awareness or answers about yourself, an encounter or your life. There are times when I am personally hurting, and I'm not in touch with the real reason. If I just start writing non-stop, writing everything that comes into my mind, whether nice or not, all of the sudden I'm putting words on paper that are new to me; thoughts that tell me some very powerful things.
Praying
I once read that prayer is a naked reach for God. In prayer we can strip away the dogma, the flowery words, the superficial and put out what we want. I've always loved the writings of Malcolm Boyd. In his book, Are you Running With Me Jesus, he suggests that we speak our prayers in real words and sentences that come completely from our hearts as if we were talking to our best friend (which we are!)
The science of prayer is to not say "I want to be well," but instead "I celebrate my wellness with gratitude," as though it has already come to be.
You don't want to pray to be in the state of "wanting." Gregg Braden's book, Secrets of The Lost Mode of Prayer, is excellent at presenting this theory.
Peter Roche de Coppen, a philosopher and author of many books today claims that whenever he's "off" his wife tells him to go and pray. He says it always works, and that he would not be where he is today without it.
Ritual
Ritual is when you set aside some time to go through your own physical motions that emphasize to you the sacredness of who you are, or what you're doing. It can be as simple as touching your heart as you leave your home. You might burn something to signify that you're letting go, or lay a flower in a stream. Then there's dancing in moonlight holding your intention, especially on the full moon!
Objects, music, chanting, movement, words, candlelight, incense, affirmations or anything that is beloved to you can be used in ritual
Doing a ritual creates an aura, focusing you and the energy around you.
It acknowledges the Divine Presence in your life.
A Synchronistic Story to Emphasize Ritual
I bought the original painting, which has become the cover of this book, at an exhibit of young artists held at Alex Grey's gallery, in New York. They shipped it to me by Fed Ex, and it arrived just now. (That's what I mean about everything in your life aligning.) I decided to create a ritual of opening the package.
I was in tears over how powerful it was to have found and bought this painting. I was in such a deep place about receiving the box in this particular moment. Ritual was perfect to really impound the Sacredness. I lit a candle. I opened the box. I knelt with it in my hands in silence, experiencing its power and beauty. I felt grateful to the artist, Mary Myrta, and appreciated the media she'd used (Caran d' Ache.) Ritual and gratitude assisted me to experience this holy moment as fully as possible. This is the greatness of ritual
Dreams.
Your dreams can often act as an oracle giving you guidance or input. A story that illustrates this quite well is a dream I had when I was struggling about whether to have surgery. Doctors felt that a nodule on my thyroid should be removed. I was very healthy and questioned the need for surgery. Then I had a dream of very special friends of mine, a car, and an Irish Setter named "Taos." The dream made no sense to me, so I trusted that I would someday understand it.
Months later I was in New Mexico for a workshop. A couple who had registered for the same workshop called and invited my friend, Carol and me to dinner to get acquainted. We met in the bar and went on to a restaurant. Our conversation went deep very quickly, and I found myself talking about the decision regarding my thyroid. This person chose to be quite direct in response to my story. He said, "You look extremely healthy to me. Perhaps what's in your body is perfectly normal to you. You could choose to trust that all is well for you."
I thanked him for the input and mentally stored it in my file of many opinions ¼ but not for long. Driving back to the hotel we swerved to miss hitting a dog. In the headlights its' eyes looked like stars with light exploding from them. I gulped. The dog was an Irish setter, and we were in Taos just like in my dream! I knew I would not have the surgery. All was well.
I suggest as you get answers, enter them in your journal under "What I've Asked For and Received." Date them and record your feelings. You'll finally receive so much that you'll no longer record it. Living this process is rich and what spirituality is about. Alex Grey says that opening subjectively to an internal experience of the sacred, (is) an opening to ultimate reality that will positively affect your mind and heart." Trust it!
Physical Tools to Assist You!
Personal Space
Some persons have one very special place (a Sacred Space) that is their spot of meditation, reading, journaling, and reflecting. To enhance the Sacred Spaces they add visuals such as pictures or crystals which help to focus experience. If you're creating a space be sure there's comfort, a feeling of safety, good light, candles or favorite objects, and your own blessing.
An Altar
All of us have altars, but we just aren't aware of them as "altars." They might be the refrigerator with pictures, your dresser, or even the rear view mirror in your car (I love to see what some people dangle there!) That may be enough. But you may decide you want to create a new altar; some place more specific.
The purpose of an altar is to take you within visually, to be a visual reminder about your life, and process. Consider the items that will help with that so when you stand in front of your altar you are deeply moved and reminded. Candlelight might be useful or just placing something so sun hits it dramatically.
You may choose to have your altar in your meditation space. One friend has an altar on the windowsill at her kitchen sink. It's made up of glass objects that she's gathered over many years. Some have been gifts and some are things she's fallen in love with. Because they are glass they are enhanced by natural light during the day and indirect light at night. It's gorgeous!
Another friend has a portable altar. This altar consists of objects that are precious personally, wrapped in a beautiful piece of soft leather and tied with a leather lace. He carries it with him when he travels. He's never without it.
A Journal.
This book of empty pages is going to be used big time, so choose something that feels good to hold, one you like visually, one whose pages turn well, and you can write in easily and often. Choose one that makes you want to journal!
A Writing Tool
This may sound silly to you, but I have found being deliberate in all of my choices, even the choice of what I'm going to use to write is important. Choose a pen or pencil that feels good, and writes smoothly. This formalizes your project, and is you creating good support.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from MESSAGESby DENNY DAIKELER Copyright © 2012 by Denny Daikeler. Excerpted by permission of BALBOA PRESS. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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