Toltec Insights with Dr. Susan Gregg

Today Dale went free. I took off her bandage and let her out in the yard for the day. Her foot looks good. Here is a  picture or her getting ready to walk out the door, with one less toe but she’s walking just fine. As I write this I can hear her cooing noises over by the carport. Her favorite place this time of day.

One of our other chickens Diablo died yesterday and we planted a gardenia on her grave. Today she is blooming and the flowers smell so good. Life is certainly an incredible process. Change is the only constant and it is definitely best savored in the moment.

Here is an article I wrote a while ago. It seemed appropriate given the day.

Freedom’s Just Another Word For Nothing Left To Lose

One day as I was meditating, I heard Janice Joplin’s raspy voice singing “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” My first thought was, “What a negative idea.” But as I thought about it I realized it did have valid applications in my life. Over the years I have found that the harder I try to hold on to physical things the more rapidly they seem to dissolve. I have come to realize that the feelings of desperation or fear destroy our personal freedom.

When we desperately try to cling to things in life we push them away. It is similar to chasing a beach ball in a pool. If you lunge for it, the ball stays just out of reach and moves away from us. If we approach the ball gently it is easily retrieved. Fear and desperation have the same effect in our lives, as we lunge at things in our life, they move away from us.

For me, freedom comes when I have an attitude of detachment. I define freedom as a way of being in the world in which we experience joy, happiness, peace, and abundance in all areas of our lives. When I am trying to cling to someone or something I experience none of these states, instead I usually experience fear and unhappiness.

When I first began releasing fear and desperation in my life I began to view myself as the sky. The sky is always changing yet always perfect. I remembered flying out of New York City on a gray, dark, and dismal winter day. Suddenly the plane broke through the clouds and we were bathed in sunlight, surrounded by the beautiful blue sky.

I began to view the people, situations, and emotions in my life as clouds. The clouds sometimes block our view and we forget our own perfection and the perfection of those around us. This exercise allowed me to develop a sense of detachment. The sky never tries to control the clouds or the sun; it just exists and experiences the changes effortlessly.

As I developed that sense of detachment I also began to experience life in an effortless fashion. Each day became an adventure. Children often awaken with a sense of excitement and anticipation for a new day. Our desperate need to control our lives as adults robs us of that sense of joy.

It sounds rather simplistic but try it for a week or two. Remind yourself that each event is just a cloud passing by and look for the gift it is bringing you. Remember you are an energy as vast and perfect as the sky, you are perfection, you are not the people, places, and things in your life. As a situation arises, detach, remind yourself it is just a cloud and remind yourself of your perfection.

I started this process by doing a simple meditation. I imagined myself as the sky. I allowed my energy to grow and expand until I could really sense myself encompassing the earth. I then allowed myself to experience events happening around me and imagined them as clouds. I allowed them to effortlessly flow by while I remained detached. I continued practicing this meditation until I could create that feeling of detachment in my everyday life. I watch the clouds often now and remind myself of my perfection.

Everything in our lives is temporary, it is only here for a time. As we develop that sense of detachment and release our fear of losing things, we can enjoy everything more fully. Freedom really is just another word for nothing left to lose.

With love and aloha,
Susan

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Aloha everyone,

The sun just came out and one of my chickens is announcing she has just laid an egg by doing her chicken chant. I used to find their crowing slightly annoying, okay a lot annoying until one of my students suggested it was just their way of chanting. Now that I think of it as chicken chanting I actually like it. Funny how when we change what we tell ourselves about something how we feel about it changes as well.

I find Mother’s Day a bitter sweet holiday. My mom died almost twenty five years ago in a car accident. So each year as I honor her my feelings have changed drastically. I was going to post a picture of her when I realized I don’t have any good pictures of her. She hated photographs so she would tear up any pictures she was in. My mom had a persona she tried to keep up most of her life. When I was a child we moved from NYC to a very tiny town in Vermont. She hated living there and claimed the people in town called her the rich bitch on the hill.

She tried to act like a tough old broad but at heart she was a softy. She was a poet and unbeknownst to me, quietly helped lots of people. She embodied the idea of random acts of kindness and I had no idea. Years ago I remember reading something to the effect that if you got caught doing an act of kindness it didn’t count. When she died I followed her wishes of immediately getting rid of all her underwear (go figure) and having her cremated.

The funeral director was my best friend’s brother, he suggested we have a memorial service so we did. I called all her friends from New York and most of them came. I was totally shocked when I showed up at the church. It was full to overflowing. There was standing room only. One by one people came over to me and told me about all the wonderful things my mother had done. All acts of kindness that certainly didn’t fit into her persona. I got to meet a woman I never knew existed before her death.

I planted a red rose bush not too long ago and it is just starting to bloom. Red roses were her favorite. While looking for a photo I found one of her poems. I am sure I read it before but somehow today it meant a lot more to me. She only had the courage to submit a few poems and was never published. In her own words this is one was one of her favorites.

Happy Mother’s Day mom. Your poem was finally published!

Susan

The bright blue eyes,
The wind blown hair,
The small white teeth are almost here,
The slamming door,
The childish voice
All those make my heart rejoice.

She’s home!!
And all but bursting with the news –
That a puffy white cloud led her way
And some small dog was made to stay
Beside her happy smiling self
This little girl that’s two-thirds elf.

Grayce Gregg

With love and aloha,
Susan - with the bright blue eyes

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Aloha everyone,

Thanks for all your messages and comments about my chicken Dale. I was very touched and surprised that so many people cared.

Dale is enjoying her freedom. Here is a picture of her on her favorite perch. It is in the bushes in front of my carport. We have an agreement. She gets to go out all day but she has to come in at night to sleep and get her bandage changed. So far so good although last night getting her in was a two person job!

When I work with people I suggest they begin moving toward something. I suggest they make whatever they are moving toward emotionally rich, rewarding and downright juicy. That way they are willing to do whatever it takes and the journey becomes a joyous experience instead of something they HAVE to do.

When I began my spiritual adventures I was definitely moving away from emotional pain. At one point in my process I began moving toward happiness and joy. What a difference that choice made in my life. If we are moving away from pain we will create more pain to move away from and if we are moving toward pleasure we will create pleasure to move toward. So the question becomes what do you want to create more of in your life?

Dale certainly enjoys sunning herself on her favorite perch. I doubt if she spends much time worrying about anything. All in all she may have the right idea. She lets me earn our daily bread and she just enjoys the fruits of my labors. Maybe next time I’ll come back as one of my chickens. Have a great weekend and I will keep you posted about Dale’s adventures and maybe even introduce you to some of the other inhabitants of Green Acres as my friends lovingly refer to my home here on the Big Island of Hawaii.

With love and aloha,
Susan

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Aloha everyone,

Today started out sunny but when I walked up to my labyrinth I could see some dark clouds on the horizon. I am glad they weren’t indicative of things to come.

Here is a picture of Dale as she got ready to go to surgery. The vet is such a wonderful woman. She has taken care of stray peacocks we have found, cats, dogs and lots of chickens. When we asked her about Dale’s recovery she smiled and said, “I’m not sure. It isn’t like I amputate chicken’s toes every day.” At that moment I was reminded that not everyone would soak a chicken’s foot every night and bandage it. Of course, not every chicken would come to the door everyday to come in to get her foot cared for.

This morning it was funny because she was very restless and her wild friends all came to the door as if to say, “Good luck sister!” She just returned home and to my amazement she is walking even better than she was before the surgery. As soon as I let her out of the carrier she demanded food and her wild friends are outside the door watching her eat.

Animals certainly are amazing. I don’t think most people would be back to normal so quickly. She is in the backroom cooing and making all her chicken noises. Believe it or not, all chickens sound different. If you take the time to pay attention you can tell who is talking and what they want.

Awareness certainly has many payoffs. Whether it is knowing what your favorite animals wants or making choices that will allow you to create what you want when you want it! Life truly is an incredible energy system that gracefully and graciously responds to all of our thoughts and feeling.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. I’ll keep you posted about my adventures with chickens and Dale’s progress.

With love, aloha and a sigh of relief,
Susan

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I really enjoyed this video so I thought I would share it.

With love and aloha,
Susan

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