Words For the Heart. From the Heart
 

"And when you get down to it...that's the only purpose grand enough for a human life, not just to love--but to persist in love."

-- Sue Monk Kidd, from The Secret Life of Bees

"Personal mastery means approaching one's life as a creative work, living life from a creative as opposed to reactive viewpoint...."

"Personal mastery is not something you possess. It is a process. It is a lifelong discipline. People with a high level of personal mastery are acutely aware of their ignorance, their incompetence, their growth areas. Paradoxical? Only for those who do not see that 'the journey is the reward.'"

-- Peter Senge

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience."

-- Eleanor Roosevelt

"When you see the world through the eyes of love....of compassion...you realize there are no strangers in the world....only people who need LOVE."

"Everything begins and ends with love."

"Gandhi said BE the change you want to see in the world. You must first become the love that you wish to see in the world."

"The cure for all the ills and wrongs, the cares, the sorrows and the crimes of humanity all lie in one word: LOVE. It is the divine vitality that everywhere produces and restores life."

"Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness," says Oliver Wendell Holmes.

-- Nick Ralls

Please share your thoughts... 

 Dream to Be the Best You Can Be
 by Safia Abdinur Mohamed

I was my mother's 9th child, and I lived in a rural area in the East Africa countryside. We did not have schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, technologies, or chemicals. We had inherited love, pride, and dignity. That was the life we enjoyed. We were so happy, anything we didn't know, it was like it never existed.

When I was four years old, I was lost for a month. I was in the jungle. There were only wild animals and me, too little to understand the death; that made me stress free. Moon was the only light in the jungle; only, few nights had full moon. I was drinking from the rain, also eating the naturally growing seeds.

I was only four years old, but I had to manage to survive and lived. I was sleeping on rough, hard soil. I was securing my shoes, using them as pillows, before sleep. All I had were my shoes and dress; I could not take steps without the shoes. That year, there were 8 children who had gotten lost; I was the only found.

The other 7 children were eaten by lions, even, 3 of them were siblings. Lions or hyenas were not the only risk in the jungle. Reptiles were another danger during the night. There were small mountains, made by termite. They had soft flat ends. Average mound has 15 - 25 holes, and every hole was the home of a reptile family.

Every spot of the jungle was covered by stones, rocks, and mountains. Because of the mountains' flat end, I was sharing space with the reptiles. God saves who he wants. American says, "What you don't know can hurt you," but in my case, it helps me that I did not know the risk, but I still dreamt to be the best I could be.

My family moved to the small town. I was 6, but I enrolled school myself. Enrollment system was easy. Our town only had elementary school, middle school and very limited facilities. Best student of every class was the head of the class. I was the head of my class. Because I was the best student, That was why I dreamt to be the best I can be.

Before I finished the school, war had hit our town; we moved to bigger and safer city. I never let my dream die before me. For limited resources, I could not enroll in the university. I started private schools to learn English and Computer, that was all I could have done. We didn't have private universities and colleges, but still I dreamt to be the best I can be.

Our government collapsed in January 1991. I had been displaced, still in my homeland. I remember night we had slept on the street. It was not a good, safe place, but we enjoyed. Night before that we had slept on unsafe cargo and that made street feel like clean lodging. I escaped to another country, alone. I stayed with non-blood related family.

I secretly did housework for food and place to sleep; it was embarrassing to live in that condition. It was the only way I could save my family and female dignity. Many girls were in the same situation. Some of them gave up their purity, safety and values for food or a place to sleep. December 1990 my family had a maid, but March 1991 living like a maid saved my dignity.

Living with family gave me security, and that helped me to be a pure girl. Being modest, and pure gave me high self-esteem. I was hapy, that I didn't sold my body to sleep lodging. I was a worker with neither contract nor wages. I lived in that situation and for my Immigration Status, I had to choose between refugee camp and deportation.

I was in the camp, waiting hours to be called to eat. I stood long line for the bathroom. I never felt hopeless. I came to America as refugee; I felt like I came to another planet. Everything I had seen made me shocked. I could not get job for my Islamic dress. Other reasons were my English, or maybe not knowing the best job search methods.

Stereotype is a big challenge, but it did not block my dream to be the best. I had a terrible car accident with my friend. We were in coma. Doctors could not find our identifications. We were in the hospital a week, before anyone heard about the news. Our friends assumed that we went on vacation; I was in coma over a month.

Neither of us had families in USA. No one took time to find where we were. My car accident was very bad. I had brain injury. Doctor said, my chance of suriviving was 1%. Even that 1% was being paralyzed. God could create something out of 0%. America saved my life. That time I could not have dream; I was in coma.

I lost some of my memories including driving. Even I forget that I was in America. I was born in Islam. I have been performing my daily prayer 5 times a day since I was 8 years old. That car accident made me forget how to pray. I couldn't even remember about the car crash. But I did not forget my dream to be the best I can be.

Why do I dream all the time? I had dream, because I knew my internal ability. I dreamt, because I was happy being who I am. I believe God is my unchangeable internal power. Now I am in the land of opportunity. I have more than one dream. I am the best I can be: I am mother, wife, student, I am community volunteer, employee, all I can be.

I am feeling good, but I am dreaming to be better than good. I am dreaming because I am a positive thinker. I don't focus other's people's belongings. I do not compare myself with the others, because I am special and unique. I do only count what I have; it makes me feel good and give me courage.

Daily advice for dreaming and working for the best one could be

Your internal power is yours alone. You are the only one who has control over that power. Others may have inspired you doing something. Remember, the final decision of your life is yours. Understand your power and limitations. Be positive thinker. Use your past experience to improve your present condition. Improve your present condition to form better future. Prepare and work for better. Don't underestimate power of your experience to feel proud of yourself, even if it's unpleasant one use it to avoid repetition. Then dream and plan to be the best.

Blame yourself before you blame others. Do not blame yourself to feel guilty, because it could lead you commit crime. Challenge yourself before you try to change others. Count your actions before you count others' actions. Challenge yourself more than you challenge with the others. Take credit of examining yourself; it will help you grow. Use all your power before you ask help. Then plan and dream the best."

©2005 Safia Abdinur Mohamed

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 When Dreams Suffer
 A Song I Wrote When I Was 20 Years Old

In our lives, none can escape obstacles, worries and fears. They can consume, they can deter and they can compromise our lives.

Holding on, yet letting go, trusting that time will fulfill, our truest needs, our deepest dreams, will keep us on our path.

When dreams suffer there must be fear in their way. So, close your eyes until you realize your dreams, in time, guide your way.

Giving space, believing while nothing supports your beliefs may test your faith, but in time will bring your dreams in full to you.

When dreams suffer, there must be fear in their way. So, close your eyes until you realize your dreams, in time guide your way.

The road's been long for you and I, each with our lessons to learn. But in my heart, I've always had faith in myself, in time and faith in you.

And when my dreams suffered, my worries and fears let me stray. I gave them faith and worked a long my path, and now, perhaps, my dreams can guide my way.

©1978 Linda Marks

 

 HealingHeartPower Calendar
 

Saturday, December 6, is the next Healing the Traumatized Heart Workshop, from 1 - 5 pm in Newton. Join us for an afternoon of heartful healing and community.

The EKP Community Holiday Party is on Saturday, December 6 from 6 - 8:30 pm. Bring a contribution to a potluck dinner, and any favorite music or musical instruments. Friends and loved ones are welcome. RSVP to LSMHEART@aol.com, so we know who is coming.

Linda will be leading Embracing the Power of the Heart, a weekend retreat at Rowe Camp and Conference Center in Rowe, MA the weekend of January 9 - 11. Rowe is the most warm and welcoming place to go for a workshop! We hope you can join us! Register Online at www.rowecenter.org.

On Saturday, January 24, Dan Cohen and Linda Marks will be leading Healing the Traumatized Integenerational Heart. This workshop integrates Hellinger Family Constellations work with EKP to provide an incredibly powerful opportunity to heal integenerational enegy doing soul work and oversoul work.

The next EKP Apprenticeship Training will begin in January 2009. The apprentice group meets one weekend a month. The program is a four year cycle. The first two years focus on learning skills and concepts of EKP with ones peers, including the very popular second year study of body-centered developmental psychology. The second two years are clinical years, where apprentices get to work with guest clients in our student clinic. If you are interested in apprenticing, contact LSMHEART@aol.com. An interview and one EKP session are required to apply to the first year apprenticeship training group.

Sunday, March 1 Linda will be leading Body Psychotherapy and the Heart for Health Professionals at the New England School for Acupuncture.

EKP opportunities in Newton include:

• Being a guest client in the Student Clinic
• On-going Thursday night EKP Body Psychotherapy Group (which currently has room for a couple new members)
• On-going Sunday EKP Monthly Process Group (which also has room for a couple new members)

If you would like a Healing the Traumatized Heart workshop near you, or have a group of people who you would like to bring EKP to, please contact LSMHEART@aol.com.

To find out more.... 

 About Linda
 

Linda Marks, MSM, is pioneer in body psychotherapy who has developed, taught and practiced Emotional-Kinesthetic Psychotherapy (EKP) for more than two decades. Author of LIVING WITH VISION and HEALING THE WAR BETWEEN THE GENDERS, she co-founded the Massachusetts Association of Body Psychotherapists and Counseling Bodyworkers and is the founder of the Boston Area Sexuality and Spirituality Network. She holds degrees from Yale and MIT, and has a vital 12-year-old son.

To find out more about Linda...