Miracle on 51st Street…

These are really challenging times, and I know that lots of people are fearful and worried — AND we create our lives every day anew.  How do we do that, you say?

We start with our words and how we language our lives. We can choose in every moment whether to be drawn into a conversation for despair  and depression or we can initiate conversations of creation and possibility. It is simply a choice for empowerment or disempowerment – and we make that choice in THIS moment…. and in THIS moment…. and in THIS moment….

I already hear you saying, “What good will that do – in the real world?” Well, if it does nothing else, certainly, it empowers us all to be speaking from strength rather than weakness…. and the actions that come out of strength are always more powerful than those that come out of cynicism and resignation.

I want to take this one step further:

In my own life, I have found that when I keep myself focused on being in possibility – miracles happen!   That’s right – bona fide, out-and-out-right miracles!   Thinking, speaking and living in possibility is what “A Course in Miracles” calls “miracle-mindedness.”

This happens to me all the time….

I remember, one afternoon,  I was walking up East 51st Street, between Lexington and Park Avenues here in Manhattan. I was frustrated because a real estate deal I was working on had just died, and I was ready to hold a “pity party” for myself,   “Why does making money have to be so hard?”

I stopped myself. I knew that a “poor me” attitude would get me nowhere.  I had a “sit-down” talk with myself – well, perhaps not a “sit down” talk,  maybe  more of  a “walking down the street on my way to meet a friend” talk: “Stop it, Linda.  You know better than that.  You can create whatever you want —  and so,  just start NOW!”   And, with that, I took a deep breath (still walking, mind you!), looked up towards the beautiful blue sky above, held my arms out to my sides, palms up, (to catch all the money….) and said, OUT LOUD,   “Money is coming towards me RIGHT NOW!“

With that, I looked down, and a dollar bill was rolling down the street towards me!   I couldn’t believe it!

I reached down and picked it up – I was so surprised that I just stood there, holding it up between my fingers and looked at it, as if to say, “OK, so where did YOU come from?”

I looked around to see for myself – maybe someone had dropped it.  There was no one around me except for a group of three young people who passed me, looking and laughing at me – I must have been a sight, actually, standing there, all dressed up, holding a dollar bill up in front of my face and just looking around in amazement!

I decided that I had indeed called this forth. And, as I thought about that, I checked in with God…..”Well, thank you for this…. really!..   and perhaps I wasn’t clear about how MUCH money I was talking about? I meant to say ‘a LOT of money’.”

So, my thinking went to “What is a LOT of money?” $200 would be a lot of money in India.   But, in New York City?

I continued this inner dialogue as I came to Park Avenue…. by this time, I had come to the conclusion that, yes, a million dollars would be a good starting point — and I was already thinking how I would spend it.

And then I saw him — a beggar on the corner, really grungy, really dirty, and really smelly. I started to widen the distance between us as I made my way to the corner.  I had walked two steps past him when I stopped.  I suddenly got it.  The money wasn’t for me, the money was an expression of God through me into the world… and here was my opportunity.

I turned back and leaned over and handed him the dollar bill that I still held between my fingers. He grabbed it out of my hand and turned away.  I found myself getting annoyed, “Wow, he just snatched that away without so much as a ‘thank you!’”

Then I got the even BIGGER  lesson.

It wasn’t for me to say…  he wasn’t there for me to judge – he was there for me to serve — and I had been given the means to do just that – it was right there at my fingertips.

The beggar was doing what the beggar was doing.  His level of consciousness was his level of consciousness. And whatever way that  was – created his life.

I had called forth a level of abundance for myself with my Word.   What I chose to do with it was my level of consciousness – and that creates MY life.

It’s all supposed to come through us into expression. We get to choose – to be greedy or to serve…. to gossip or to empower…  To complain or to create… Which will it be?

The possibility I am creating today is a day full of abundance, generosity, joy, and ease!   All is well!

May abundance come rolling down the street towards each of you everyday!

Deliciously yours in the Possibility of it All, Linda

© Linda Ruocco and “Spiritual Chocolate”, 2009. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Linda Ruocco and “Spritiual Chocolate”  with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.  Thank you.

Hero ’til the Morning Light….

We all need a little yummy dollop of something these days – I’ve started turning my television off for the news – if it isn’t the stock market, it’s a plane crash — and Oh, so much sadness for everyone!

What WAS worth watching and listening to over and over again was that Magnificent Miracle on the Hudson and OH, MY HERO!  “Sully” Sullenberger – ain’t he grand?

Speaking of heroes, I’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to relationship… so here goes:

For a long time, I wouldn’t let myself think about finding a soul mate to love because I was holding it that I had already found my soul mate, married him, then divorced him — not that quickly, of course – there WAS a whole lot of spiritual chocolate in there, I tell you!  He was my Hero then and he is my Hero now….    And we’re friends to this day, but not meant to be together anymore — not in this life anyway….

So, who was there for me?

No answer.

I wasn’t concerned.   I thought… “It’s not a high priority for me”;   “I’m great on my own”;   “Whew, I don’t have to answer to anybody”;   and – my favorite – “I’ve got too much to do to make time for a relationship!”

Little by little, it dawned on me that while I knew – or thought I knew – why I wasn’t interested in a relationship – I noticed that no one seemed to be interested in me, either!       Hmmm……

Then, I got it.   I was walking around like, “I met my soul mate already. You’re not him.  So, how would you like to be ‘second-best?’”

Apparently, no one did.

So, I started looking at “soul mate” and what that means.  Is there only one for each of us?

I’m a student of “A Course in Miracles” and the Course says that we’re all One.  A lot of people give a lot of lip service to that, but what exactly does that mean?  If we are “All One” in spirit, then there really is only One of us here, right?  So, why does it seem like there are 6.8 Billion separate people on the planet?

Well, I don’t know if I can answer centuries’ old questions in my sweet little blog, but I do know one thing – for me, anyway…..

On the level of Self, there IS only one of us here…. and that’s where the love is….   All of this “stuff” walkin’ around here is Who we think we are….   and, Boy!!   Aren’t we annoying sometimes?

….and beautiful sometimes, and sweet sometimes, and fearful sometimes, and just trying to stay alive sometimes……

Under it all, we are simply Love and there’s only One and  One means not “me, alone,”  but “we”.   And, every time we get that, and don’t pay attention to the “stuff”, there is something special there, right?

I think that my ex-husband, Fred, and I managed to look past the “stuff” and get to the heart underneath it all – and that’s when we “recognized” our own Self and loved each other with all our hearts.   And that love will never go away.   It looks different now, sure – but it’s there forever.

What I did finally get for myself is that I can do that with anyone!   And everyone!   Well, for relationship purposes, let’s keep that to anyOne….. I just have to be willing to look past the “stuff”.

Everyone is my soul mate!

That doesn’t mean that “my stuff” will fit with everyone else’s “stuff” – and vice versa — we’re still here, after all…..

Being willing and being vulnerable and being loving and being interested….. Sounds pretty great – and pretty scary……

My possibility is being in relationship with all my heart!   He’ll show up – when I show up!

Well, “Sully” is married, so he’s out…..

Here I go, dancing down the street, arms thrown out and scarf blowing in the wind, “I’m holding out for a hero.. A hero ‘til the morning light… He’s got to be strong and he’s got to be soon and he’s got to be larger than life…..”

You are all my heros!!

Deliciously yours in the Glory of it all, Linda

© Linda Ruocco and “Spiritual Chocolate”, 2009. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Linda Ruocco and “Spritiual Chocolate”  with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.  Thank you.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

Hi, I’m Linda Ruocco and this is my blog, “Spiritual Chocolate: Living inside a Delicious Relationship with the Divine.”

So, what does that mean, you say? Why this blog

For me, I grew up Roman Catholic and everything religious or spiritual was very solemn, serious, and severe – lots of rules, lots of ritual, lots of SIN!! I almost couldn’t do anything without which it was a SIN and wrong — and God was scary and distant!

On my own path, I have found that the spiritual road is rich with delights, the smooth path rather than the rocky road I thought it was when I was small…. and full of sweet and soulful surprises that warm the heart and pour into my mind like the molten delicacies that they are…. and so I aim to bring those delicious morsels to you…. those found moments, those delectable treats that appear in the love that only spirit sees and feels and hears…. my Valentines to you…. Valentines from The Divine.

I was married to a wonderful man, with whom I am still friends. His name is Fred. We divorced a long time ago and I have not been in a real committed romantic relationship since then. We have an incredible son, whose name is Josh, and he is 29 and lives far away in Minneapolis and works for Target and, well, I miss him even though I know that he has his own life to live, his own path to follow.

I tell you this because it is Joshua who taught me everything I need to know about love – that it is unconditional, it is always there, it gives us our strength, our beauty, our lives… and once it is created, it is never destroyed – even when we think it is. Oh, it may look different, it may feel different sometimes – but, love is love and it just IS…. and, if we let ourselves, we can see it everywhere.

When Josh was born, I couldn’t believe how much I loved him! One minute, he wasn’t there – and, the next – he popped out, I looked at him, and there it was – this feeling that we long for all our lives, the feeling that is indescribable, that is deep and rich and Oh, so sweet! The feeling that we call LOVE.

And, it never went away! In fact, I loved him more and more (How is this possible?) every day!

So, here’s my first delicious morsel: When Josh was about three, I was putting him to bed one night. I had my arms curled around his little body, so soft, so sweet, his little blond curls brushing at my cheek as I sang him a song to sleep. I was overwhelmed with him and feeling so blessed. I whispered in his ear, “Josh, you are better than the treasure at the end of the rainbow, you are better than the most precious jewels in all the Universe, you are an angel, so perfect and so sweet. I am so lucky to have you for a son. Thank you for being my child.”

“You’re welcome,” he answered simply.

I was a little surprised. I felt like I wanted him to say, “Oh, Mommy, I feel that way about you, too. You are so wonderful. You are the best Mommy that any boy could ever want!”

After I left his room, I thought about that. And, I got it that it was my ego that wanted those strokes, that reassurance, that admiration.
Josh? Well, he was just love – and his answer was a response from the Divine – my son was my prayer and God answered.

Over the years, I have come to realize that that love that I feel for Josh is what love is – and I can give that same love to anyone and to everyone. The only thing ever standing in the way is the ego that wants strokes, reassurance, and admiration. Love simply is. It doesn’t need anything.

Oh, and, because it’s Valentine’s Day, I’m giving myself a new possibility – the possibility of being in a deep, rich relationship with all my heart!

And, that means, with you…

Deliciously yours in Love always, Linda

“Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is exhausting for children to have to provide explanations over and over again. That’s the way they are. You must not hold it against them. Children should be very understanding of grown-ups.” …”The Little Prince,” by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

 

© Linda Ruocco and “Spiritual Chocolate”, 2009. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Linda Ruocco and “Spritiual Chocolate”  with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.  Thank you.