I woke up with the song ‘Love, Serve and Remember’ playing in my mind. It was as if John Astin was there singing it just for me.
As songs sometimes do… this one evoked a strong memory…
So, I let myself go with it. I let myself be curious.
My Memory
I was up next, I could feel it. I ran over to the sound system person and told her to please change my song. I said, “I have to sing number 10. (I believe that was the number I told her.) Anyway, I didn’t remember what the song was but heard to choose that numbered song on the CD.
Did you guess it? Of course, it was the ‘Love, Serve, and Remember’ song.
When the song began, as I stood there in front of the other class participants, tears welled. Because I knew, I knew down to my pinky toes, that this was the right song.
This message to love, serve, and remember was everything I wanted!
So, here’s the scoop. I was attending an ‘Attract the Beloved’ workshop.
We were instructed to find our song and sing along with it. The idea was that the song would encapsulate what we wanted with our Love. We were to sing it as if we were singing it to our Beloved.
And boy did I sing it!
As the song started my fear of being in front of the entire class lifted and much like the clarity of sight one experiences from a fog lifting, my purpose became crystal clear. My mission was to attract a Beloved who would love, serve, and remember along with me.
Not one whom I would need to protect and make the way safe enough for him to love, which by the way, was the message of the first song I chose.
I’m delighted that I followed that memory because it showed me by listening to my heart and letting go of what I thought I should do, that I at that moment, switched my intent, and of course, it made all the difference.
‘I’m happy to share that I did attract a beloved to love, serve, and remember with me. We married and we’re quite happy together.’
Listening and Letting Go
Doesn’t love, serve, and remember sound like a sweet way to live?
I mean, don’t we all want to live sweetly?
Nice concepts for sure…but how to put them into practice?
Let’s go back to my workshop. I had to listen and let go of what I thought was the right song to truly get the right song. (to be with the right person )
There have been so many times in my life when I didn’t listen. I bet you’ve had those times too. You know what I’m talking about. Those times when you feel something so strongly and ignore it. Or you repeatedly hear something and try to preoccupy yourself with busyness and hope it will stop. Or maybe your needed message comes in other ways such as you read it, or a friend says it, or you even see it on TV but you insist on turning a deaf ear to it.
I have a hunch that those times you didn’t listen probably turned out much like mine did when I didn’t listen - not too well.
Regardless of what we want - to love, serve, and remember, a beloved, a healthy body, prosperity, to live in joy - we have to start with listening and letting go of where we’re at ‘in mind and heart’ to get to where we want to be.
To Listen We Must Let Go of Judgments
It’s hard to listen to our hearts when we’re bogged down with judgements.
The next time you intuitively know, hear, or feel to do something, I encourage you to pause. Pause…before your judgments stop you.
I caution you - your judgments may come as disguises.
We’re all so clever. If we’re not careful we’ll cover them up with our cleverness and call them reasons. Those little buggers can be sneaky - I don’t have time. I can’t do that. I’m not ready. I’m not smart enough, educated enough, savvy enough, etc.
Dear, those reasons are judgements!
Try this, when you find yourself going through your litany of reasons - stop!
Just stop. Take a breath.
Give yourself the space for curiosity to come in.
We Have What It Takes Inside of Us - It’s Called Curiosity
I have discovered with myself and those I serve that when one is willing to just be curious about what they hear, their judgments fall by the wayside, and then listening and letting go comes naturally.
When we listen, I mean really listen to our heart-of-hearts, our life flows like a free-flowing river unaffected by human changes. A river where water, minerals, and animals move unobstructed.
Don’t we want to move through life unobstructed?
Try Curiosity
We all have experienced the curiosity of a child. They’re curious about everything.
What do they do when they’re curious? They ask questions. Lots and lots of questions.
The next time you’re ready to let your judgements stop you, instead try being like a child and ask yourself questions.
Questions that are open-ended and give you the space to wonder about and explore possibilities.
Instead of, What if I’m not capable, try changing it to What if by doing this I discover that I have what it takes, what then? Where might this take me?
Let your mind wonder about the possibilities the way a child would.
As you wonder about the possibilities you soften, and in the softening you flow unobstructed.
Curiosity conquers judgment.
With the conquering of our judgements, we listen and let go.
We live sweetly.
Inner Joy Compass Prompt:
As growth-seeking beings, we all have something we want.
So, what is something you want?
Hold the thought of what you want in your mind.
Let’s get curious about it, shall we?
Ready? Here we go:
When I think of allowing my curiosity to come to the forefront, I feel ______________.
If I were to have what I want, the possibility of having that may bring me _________________ gifts. (Really let go here.)
As I think about the potential of those opportunities becoming a reality, I experience a feeling of________.
When I think of having what I want and envisioning it’s 5 years from now, I see _______________.
By having what I want I’m making a difference in my life as well as the lives of _______.
“Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will.” James Stephens
May you be like a small child and let your natural curiosity sweeten your life.
Thanks so much for being here with me.
I appreciate YOU.
With all my love,
Gloria
P.S. Be on the lookout for an additional post this week.
P.P.S. Notes on John from YouTube: John Astin is a masterful songwriter and musician who also works as a research scientist doing cutting-edge research in the area of mind-body medicine. Love, Serve, and Remember was inspired by the words of Maharaji when he told his pupil, Ram Dass to... "Just love everyone, serve everyone, and remember God."