#18 Cubbyholes

Dear Jeanne,
Do you have any messages for us today?

I speak today of moderation, of learning not only balance, but also the necessity of living life with only that which is necessary, and only in amounts that are easily handled. For excess in anything is dangerous and counterproductive.

Find your balance first, each day, in your center, your calm place inside you. Use this as your guide, know the feel of it, and how it fits only you and makes you calm and aware. Keep your place here firmly in your consciousness as you go throughout your day.

From this place of calm center, can you better maintain moderation in all things. From here can you regulate your life in all manners, with maturity, and conscious effort to tackle your issues, and your challenges, with sober and small steps that will keep you in this balanced center.

When I speak of moderation, I speak of it in terms of every aspect of life. Regard yourself as ready to hurl yourself forward into new life and I say, yes, that is good, but that is not necessarily the best way to proceed. For to hurl yourself down the rabbit hole, and into a new world, may not be the best thing for you or for the rest of your life, at this time.

Seek balance; seek clarity now, on all the issues in your life that you need to address. Compartmentalize them in little boxes, each in its own cubbyhole, giving them each equal space, and equal attention, as you place them into their spaces. With each issue firmly placed, and safely acknowledged, can you now begin to understand what I mean when I speak of moderation.

If you tip over your box of cubbyholes and all your issues fall onto the floor in a big heap, then will you simply be overwhelmed. But, keeping them separate and known, each for their own intensity, will you have better access to them, and better perspective as well. Now, in moderation, is it possible to deal with one issue at a time, as it rises to your consciousness, but only in small amounts.

If your issue of abandonment arises, give it some attention, but do not allow it to overwhelm you so that it falls out of the cubbyhole and pours itself on top of you. This would result in suffocation and a sense of total helplessness. Remember, you are in charge at all times. You are the director. You already know the whole movie of your life, but you are attempting to revisit each scene now and look at it more clearly to discover what you missed the first time. So, it is important that you do not become overwhelmed or you will not understand all that is waiting for you to discover in your exploration of the self at this time in your life.

Return your issue to the cubbyhole after you have handled it a little bit, after you have ventured into its essence. As you begin to recall things that it is necessary for you to recall, step back, and ponder the little bit that comes to you. Keep your distance from the rest of it, concentrate only on the small amount that you can handle. To do this is to engage in the Act of Recapitulation that I have spoken of as being the most important aspect of growth and evolution. For, without solving the mysteries of the self, how can you expect to solve the mysteries of the world around you, and the mysteries and magic of the world to come?

Once you have given yourself the gift of a small amount of recall, whether it be emotional, physical, or memory, step back, putting your issue back in its cubbyhole for the day, and know that you have served yourself enough for the day. Now, it is time to look for some other aspect of your life, in some other cubbyhole, to balance you again. Choose something that will soothe you and serve you well in your quest for wholeness. Do this also in moderation.

Seek to understand and utilize this act of moderation daily in your life. Do not fault yourself if you go overboard in any aspect of your life, for in so doing will you discover what your own balance means to you, and what moderation means in your own life, too. For both balance and moderation in one person’s life is different from that in another’s.

I do, however, advocate certain things in order to begin to set you on a path of healing, of kindness to the self, and of potential. Begin your day with the calm centering I speak of, and the healing intent I have also spoken of. This does not need much time, but will help to ground you in your day. Sit quietly, for even a minute or two, each morning, perhaps before you get out of bed, center yourself, swirl your healing intent throughout your being, and compartmentalize all your issues. Then, begin your day. In this manner will you begin each day open, and calmly ready for all that you will encounter.

I also offer this physical balancing exercise that you can do anywhere, any time, in order to regain or establish balance in your body. This will also return you quickly to your internal calm, if you take it seriously, and understand its concept, for the physical body also requires the same amount of attention as the spirit body does.

Stand tall and straight with arms at sides, legs slightly and comfortably apart. Sway slightly from one foot to the other, adjusting your balance, first to the right side, then to the left, then back again. Adjust the distance between your feet as you sway, and if you require more distance, in order to maintain good stance and steady balance. As you do this action, visualize your body shifting your internal balance, too, to the point where you are shaking off all that seeks to cling to you. In this action, are you ridding yourself of attachments that desire your energy. You can do this slowly at first and build up to quite a vigorous back and forth motion, if you desire it. Or, if you are in public, standing on line somewhere, you can do this very gently, and almost imperceptibly, but you will know what you are doing, and the reason for it, and you will be able to shake up and shake off attachments. At the same time, will you also, as you slow down your back and forth swaying from one foot to the other, be reasserting your balance, both your internal balance and your physical balance. Stand quietly for a minute, when you have completed this exercise and feel yourself in your body again. Feel your energy settle down into your center, pull it in and hold it there, and know that you are fully capable of learning this moderation I speak of.

Keeping your physical self in good shape by beginning with one step at a time will lead you to greater balance in all aspects of your life. Seek to keep your body clean by eating real food and real drink. Enjoy the goodies of taste in moderation, too, for I do not advocate denial of any sort, but only moderation, for it will not serve you or your body well to have too much of anything.

You must learn to live in both worlds, the world of your inner spirit, and the real world with all that it offers you, but to do so in balance, with equal enjoyments of both worlds, requires work and attention to the self, without stress, and without defeating the self as you go. It will take time, but eventually, if you begin to practice moderation, will you gain the clarity necessary to navigate that life with balance and moderation that will serve you well in both worlds.

I think this is enough instruction for one day. I have given you access to many things in order to guide you on your path. Seek your own sense of what balance means to you. Seek moderation, not in the overwhelming sense, but in the step-by-step sense. For I do not advocate abrupt change in anything, for that will throw you out of balance as surely as if you had tipped all of your issues out of your cubbyhole and smothered yourself with them, after we have just gotten them organized.

As always, I advocate that change be attempted in small steps. Balance and moderation are simply aspects of change that will serve you well as you make your journey. Think of these aspects as offering you the opportunity to lay aside some of your heavy burdens for a while as you take a break on your travels. When you are ready will you look inside those burdens to see what it is that you are carrying, and whether or not you really need to drag it around anymore. But, this you will only do when you are ready, and only as much as you are ready for. This is practicing moderation, and learning balance. Be kind to yourself as you begin these practices. Allow your own knowing to guide you. Look for your balance and your healing center daily, and from this place of truth will you begin to hear your own true voice, and it will let you know, more clearly, with time and practice, exactly what you need to do next. But will you listen? That is your challenge.

Return to my words as often as you need them and they will guide you. Help yourself with the knowledge that all aspects of your journey are meant for you to experience and learn from. What are you learning about yourself and your own journey today, and where are you taking yourself? This is your path. What will your next step be, and where will that one take you? See what happens. You never know where your adventure will take you. Or perhaps you do.