Insight | Bonnie Barnard - Part 6

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Freedom FROM and Freedom IN

This past weekend we celebrated the Fourth of July, or our nation’s independence FROM King George’s rule. Our country’s founders declared a new country, a new congress, and a new way of doing governance. A new way grew out of an old idea that no longer fit. We do this all of the time. Everyday individuals decide to become sober as there is a rub between the addicted self and the emerging desired new. There is a past FROM which liberation is the desired goal. Likewise individuals graduate FROM a college or university as an accomplishment has been made and a status change is underway. These are examples of Freedom FROM. The old is in the past, it is being left behind, and the new is being created with each choice, guided by internal wisdom and a lot of seeming serendipitous lure. The focal point of Freedom FROM is circumstance or behavior that is being left behind. To have Freedom IN means the ability to be free regardless of circumstance. This...

Honoring the Deceased Father on Father’s Day

Oprah gave a heart opening address at her mentor and friend Maya Angelou’s memorial service where she referred to Maya as her “Spiritual Mama.” The love for her friend was palpable in her energy field of grief (note to self: grief is evidence of having loved). I administered two memorial services for my father. A private graveside one for my family and a public one for the greater community. In both I cried like a baby throughout the service as periods punctuate sentences throughout a paragraph. Fine for awhile and then a flood. If I were to describe my relationship to my father, I would say he was my “Earthly Father.” He had mastered a level of operating in the world, which I counted upon. When I was buying a new car, I’d call him for advise. When it came to buying homes, I’d bring him along. When there were uncomfortable situations at work, he’d talk them through with me. When I thought I was better than someone else in...

How Did You Wake Up This Morning?

Think back to how you woke up this morning. What was the first thought that went through your mind? How did you greet today? What was the first, second, and third action you took? And, did these actions bring you closer to your Soul or push you away from your Self? I have had the rare opportunity this past year to observe the lives of many people close up and personal. These past eight months I’ve been a gypsy rover. I lived mostly in California, some in Arizona, and another chunk in Nevada. I rented out my home and took to the road. I slept on floors, blow up mattresses, guest beds and couches of friends and relatives. I watched first hand how people, other than myself, wake up in the morning. I didn’t think much about it until I worked with a client this week who told me she has the uncanny ability to know how her day will be the minute she wakes up. She believed it to be a...

Chihuly in the Desert

Just as the sun was setting over the desert, I entered the Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, Arizona. The desert wears its own unique beauty and scent and the glass blown art of Dale Chihuly’s team emphasized this beauty. I walked in a garden of inspiration. I turned to my friend and said I felt as though at that very moment; all was right with humanity. I experienced the Beauty of God; the Beauty of Life. I recalled a passage from The Autobiography of a Yogi. “By ignoble whips of pain, man is driven at last into the Infinite Presence, whose beauty alone should lure him.” At that moment I chose to come to the Divine through Beauty consciously, and welcome whatever pain or distress with the energy of Beauty. There is a healing power in Nature and in Color. I allowed myself to open to this. Aware that purple is seen as the Highest Vibrating color in the spectrum and has been deemed as the mystical color,...

The Gospel of the Belly

I have had a long term battle with my belly. It is subtle at times, and very blatant at others. I swear it has a life of its own and I have secretly resented it; although until last night, I was not aware of this brewing distain. On Monday I will fit into an outfit, than Tuesday I am too swollen to wear it. I will go to sleep on Wednesday feeling fine to wake up on Thursday with a distended stomach and no understanding as to how it happened. My long battle with the belly became more intense after undergoing a hysterectomy leaving with it scattered scars of different sizes and color hues reminding me of Di Vinci, the name of the robot that conducted the operation. I have visited doctors, medical intuitives, faith healers, and weight loss centers to address this persistent annoyance. Which brings me to all of the ways I’ve set out to take good care of my body which hasn’t resulted in visual...

Meditation Monday: Rockin’ and Rollin’ … Literally

I woke up this morning to my walls wiggling, bed shaking, and trinkets dancing along the bookshelf. There was a 4.7 earthquake with its epicenter just a few miles from where I am living. Nothing like an earthquake to wake me up and get me active in a life inventory. As Mediation Monday, I knew today I would meditate throughout the day on WHO I am, WHAT I am doing, and WHY I am doing it. This is an active part of intentional living; knowing the WHY, or purpose behind what I do. Today’s meditation is to be awake to what is, why I’m engaged in what is, and how I show up for it. Today I took my elderly friend on a tour of Hollywood and laughed, learned stories of those who went before us and saw beautiful homes. WHY I did this was to feed my Soul that loves history. And, to be with a friend I adore. How I did this was with humor and...