Daring

Throughout time, great people who dare to bring forth deep truth, who carry a lot of light into the world have been murdered and we might wonder why. When light shines powerful it illuminates the darkest places in the world and in our own psyche too. Many feel threatened by that and project their own shadows unto others, instead of facing it themselves. When a person enters a dark room with a strong light our garbage pile becomes rather obvious then. But often, instead of taking responsibility, we throw the trash unto the bearer of light- as if he or she is to blame for the existence of one’s own dirt. 

Sounds insane, but it happens all the time. Some people have gone as far as killing people like Gandhi, John F. Kennedy, or the masses of wise women who were burnt at the stake, and others who dared to live from a greater truth with a love that arose from their hearts. When truth shines forth some people and establishments fight hard with any means, clutching unto a false sense of control. Throughout centuries women who stood up, who shed light and spoke their voices were killed. No wonder, that fear is still present in the very cells of our feminine bodies and we tend to hold back our power and gift by that. We go so far as to fear our own light. 

But this is not the time to hide our light under a bushel anymore, we are all needed and called now to be daring. To embrace our greatest gift is not an intellectual affair, it must be felt and experienced. And this light will burn and melt all our made beliefs and delusions away. 

To step out from hiding takes courage, for you never know what will come your way. It does not mean you will be spared heart ache and challenges-what a mistaken notion has been passed along in the new age fever-but you will be wrapped into its glow and ignited by its fire. You will grow strong and learn, that through this light you can meet whatever you encounter on your path, without shutting down or turning away. 

And one more light brings forth not only a brighter world and a happier you, it can lead us through the darkest dungenouns home into true love and changes the world for everyone of us. Let it shine through the cracks of a broken heart, let it pour forth in your moments of loving. Let it take you by the hand and guide you deeper into the river of life, to quench your thirst... and fill the hunger in our souls...

Dare.

Nicola

Love, no matter what

What matters most to you? The dark haired lady at the check out counter looked up from her pile of documents and said with a surprised smile:” Love. If we had more of it we would not create this insanity in our world.” Wisdom of the sages can be found in the local post office too. So what does it take then to grow more?

It takes courage to keep the heart open, so we can really love and be loved. And by that we simply are in love. But we all experience blows, betrayals and other hurts on the sometimes bumpy road of life. It’d be so easy, if only everyone was nice to us all the time…(and those who behave crappy, are sent off to a far away island, ...that probably would be all of us in the end). In reaction to difficulties and pain we often find clever ways to guard our vulnerability; we shut down, build walls, hide our hearts in a tight box and loose the key-you know the ordeal. What a dilemma though; to the extent we have closed down we are cut off from love, our essence and feel disconnected from the natural pulse and juice of life. We may leave our bodies and live in the mind, disappear into space, judge and try to control others, practice a lofty spirituality, or plunge into a dark hole altogether. A myriad of complications in relationships arise and our own suffering spreads out on the living room floor.

What might it be like to make friends with our own vulnerability and those of our fellow humans? And tend to what we experience without escape? Courage grows as we allow ourselves to open and meet the whole enchilada: the twinkle of joy and the tears of pain in this one precious life. Can we let our hearts become as wide as the world in answer to the horror and beauty we encounter on our planet? And drink deep from the well to pour forth love, like there is no tomorrow.

When I remember the reality that indeed this could be my final day, I ask myself what would I live today. This poem below arose from such a moment as this. May it inspire you to take a risk. Enjoy the wine of true love with each other every day! Nicola

Love, no matter what

All the way through

Meet with courage

Storms and challenges

That strengthen you. 

Rise in heavenly glories

And gentle winds

That lift your soul.

Love, no matter what

Whether you are crowned and praised

By cheering crowds

Or hanged on this world's cross.

Love, no matter what

Through gain and loss

In this life's play.

For love will make you shine

You are that blazing light 

In which no shadow can exist

and truth just is.

Love, no matter what

But for the sake of Love

Your heart is big enough!

               

If you like it, my poetrybook "Nothing but Love" can be ordered on Amazon.Nothing but Love

For work with people from around the world go to: www.nicolaamadora.com

All material copyright, by Nicola Amadora  

Loving Humanity

“Glorious. Bloody. Humanity. Centuries interwoven with times of peace and war, terror inflicted and suffering caused, happiness shared and flowers grown, threads of beauty shine through and toxins are spilled upon the carpet of life, and works of geniuses and the greatness of the human spirit follow us through all the ages. The color of insanity is close by, horrible and beneficial deeds stand out; we are born and die over and over again. The fabric of humanity is a mighty one, an epic played out that still continues on- to this day. The story is alive in our very own cells and bones. 

Where does love come in?

A little 5 year-old girl in the orphanage where I worked offered Mother Teresa her only toy to take to the children in the slums. I could see how precious this ragged, cuddled up and tear stained doll was to her, and yet she was beaming to be able to offer her gift and to be received. This little nun did not want people to offer from their abundance, what they did not need, or a leftover. What matters, she always said, is how much love we put into the giving. That is where joy is found. She lived what she spoke; I saw it in her shining eyes and in the way she held the hand of the old thin man, who was dying in peace. A love, so simple and true. ”

People are thirsty and starving for it everywhere. One drop has the power to turn a life and many can grow an unstoppable river that feeds us all.

Women Rising

WOMEN RISING

An enormous volcano is erupting, the rumblings of which are heard by those, whose ears are open. A monumental change is happening at this very moment on our entire planet. The power of love is unleashing a tremendous force, it’s momentum is building and is unstoppable, taking hold of those who are ready to break through to change our course.

 Like a mighty tidal wave, women and girls are rising up all around the world, in a magnitude never seen before throughout history. She is standing at the bow, courageously turning the ship for the sake of all life.

 This river is growing every day, our voices are speaking out on behalf of our ancestors, children to come after us, all the creatures, the earth, girls and women and the well being of the people of many cultures, traditions, ages and colors.

 Women are standing up for the sacred in life and the preciousness of all beings. Girls are stepping forward, not waiting anymore for the grown ups, boldly creating a new legacy for us all.

 The feminine is on fire, stepping forth, leading us into a new dawn for humanity and our beautiful earth. Women are empowering each other, reclaiming our dignity, value and sovereignty. We are claiming our power so long oppressed, our love kept small far too long, our beauty- in all shapes she walks. We come bearing our inherent connectedness with the source and ancient wisdom that is so needed now, but had been suppressed and doubted, in fear. Even, if we are shaking in our boots and high heels, masses of women, whether in the huts of Africa, in the furthest reaches in India, here in Santa Cruz- literally everywhere women are gathering and rising. They are taking the lead in creating the change so needed in a world, that is dangerously on the edge and has fallen out of alignment with the truth of life.

 Change has come. Women are birthing a way of living based on connectedness, respect and care. We are dedicated to the wholeness of life, and working tirelessly toward ending the enormous of suffering present today. For centuries, patriarchal structures have dominated the world, creating this extreme situation we are facing on the planet, which affects each person, plant and animal in every part of the world. Spirituality and religion has often pointed toward transcendence, the formless, emptiness, heaven, and a distant god ruling, but left out the feminine. It left out connection, immanence and interdependence, the divine in form- found in the smallest pebble, in the silent growing of majestic trees, in your body and the face of humanity. The old structures, based solely on hunger for power, autonomy, competition, control and other maladies, divorced from the feminine and separated from life, have led us to where we are today.

This era is ending now. The Dalai Lama and wise elders have recently said: It is the women who will lead the change in the world. Women are bringing forth a new way- or is it an ancient one, we have always known deep down, arising from the heart of life itself?

This powerful movement is not a fight against men, nor is it the establishment of a new matriarchy. Nor is it about women being better than men, for we all have the same worth in the eyes of creation. It is far vaster and all encompassing. There is a paradigm shift happening for both men and women. Women are asked to step up and come forward with their voices and gifts. Men are called to support women and the causes that are in benefit to life, with all their might. Some men already are.

This is not about a lonesome heroine journey, but women leading the change together, hand in hand in cooperation, not in competition. Nor is it about women to become hardened and forcing our way, some have taken on this coat to reach the ladder of success in a male oriented business world. Nor has sleeping beauty time to wait for prince charming to rescue her, for she is waking by the kiss of life and a greater calling, in which she has an important part to play.

Sex trafficking of children, mainly girls even as young as 4, is one of the biggest and fastest growing industries around the world. We are joining to end the worst horror and crime of our times, that is expressing the extent and severity of ignorance and disconnect from life itself. The earth is ravished, poisoned and polluted. Women are making a stand on behalf of nature and many men are helping to find new ways of how we can live in a sane and sustainable way. Nature is not a disposable commodity, it needs to be respected and cared for. So are girls and every living being. All are worth more than money, greed, control and possessions. Yet, in many places of the world girls have less value and do not even receive education, thereby being trapped in a cycle of poverty, forced into child marriage, sex slavery and used for cheap labor. Women, still to this day with the same qualifications and skills, receive less pay than a man in the USA. The amount of single mothers, who are living below the poverty line is staggering. Mothers are often considered as worth less than a high earning CEO, who goes home after the work is done. Yet, hers is a 24 hour job, no pay and no recognition usually comes her way. Women are still being raped as a normal practice, especially by military and in war torn lands- like she is a sex object to be taken, used and then thrown away. In the western world alone, one out of 4 girls are molested or raped, before reaching adulthood. Almost every second girl in the US is on a diet before she turns 20, hating her body, because beauty is defined by a male and sex oriented media market. The sacredness of the feminine, the woman as a human being has been violated, degraded, used, dismissed, devalued, oppressed, treated like a disposable object, and destroyed. It is one of the biggest issues we are facing in the world. How we have treated women, is the same as what we have done toward the earth. This is how we have related to life itself far too long. It is ending, now. The turning is happening with each one of us.

 I was inspired by the recent event of “One Billion Rising” to end violence against women and girls, that happened in 205 countries around the world on Valentines Day- what a powerful sign of a new time! The tide is rising and reached the masses now. We can uproot the causes of this suffering, restore balance and honor what is sacred, become truly human and work together toward the flourishing of all life. Each beneficial act, however little or big, makes a difference and is needed now: By creating equality, by valuing girls and women, by stopping actions like sex trafficking, by speaking up on behalf of those who are more vulnerable like children, elders, animals, by caring for nature, by healing what was broken, by an embodied spirituality and a responsible way of living….by hearing and empowering women to lead us forward now, by all of us standing together hand in hand- for real love. We have a choice to be part of this revolution. Many already have answered the calling -and more are joining in every single day. 

Come c'moi, get on your horse and ride with all of us- this one is for LIFE!

Dreams come true

Moving across the threshold from day to night, the sunset spreads all the colors and shades of yellow and red. As I look across the sky the painting is different than yesterday. It always amazes me what life creates in one moment and then the scenery changes in the blink of an eye. Soon night softly falls, wrapping all in its’ dark mantle, carrying you off into slumber land.

In the place of the in between, before sleep and the morning, the threshold beyond time and space, there is an opening, where dreams are born from. Not the imaginations, fictions, wishes, thought elaborations, or emotional high- or nightmares we often call dreams.

But true dreams birthed directly from the source, from our deepest home, our being, the heart of creation. We all have heard many a time: “I have a dream” from M.L. King or “Imagine all the people” from J. Lennon, “Wild geese” from Mary Oliver and countless more.

Those dreams come as messengers for what is possible, as a gift they stay with us in their timelessness. They carry a sense of truth, even if they might seem unrealistic, they have a taste of a greater freedom, they instill a sense of wonder and hope, they ignite us like great music that lifts you, they touch the ground of life and set us on fire to birth them into the world.

They offer us an invitation and with our permission they will come true in life, no question. We never know how and when, yet I have seen and experienced it over and over again, when you are on board and put in your hands and whole heart too- dreams do come true.

There is a dream in each one of us longing to be lived. A dream for the world, a dream for your life, a calling to step into love and let it become a reality.

 What is your dream, the one that you have met in stillness, in nature or moments when least expected, the one that always seems to be with you and follows you around, like someone waiting to be seen, heard and welcomed in? What might it be like to go forth and begin to live it, one step at a time, even if the final outcome might be further away then the horizon itself?  As St. Francis of Assisi sang, when he rebuilt his chapel by hand in the freezing cold winter:” Stone by stone….build your dreams slowly.. “ Trust, at some point it carries a momentum and becomes unstoppable, like a river flowing as a mighty force and nourishing many.

These dreams are your guides and important messengers from beyond. Treat them honorably, let them show you your way and inspire you to live the life you were born for, offering your unique gift of love into this world.

 By Nicola Amadora, 2013 all copyrights reserved.

The Calling

Do you hear the whisper, the stirring when life is emerging in spring as the first daffodil, when the tiny chirpings of birds tickle you to smile; or the moment, when all is still and suddenly shattering thunder and lightening pierces the sky?

 Do you hear the calling from deep inside? In the middle of the night, when you are alone twisting and turning, there is a restlessness that nothing seems to satisfy, no matter how hard you may have tried to tie it down. Or looking out across the ocean over the horizon, a longing, an ache is arising, as if from an ancient knowing wanting to awaken in you.

 No matter how much you do, achieve, how busy you keep yourself, or how many dramas we tend to be entangled with- something keeps calling from inside. You know what I am talking of. Sometimes it comes as a whisper, carried from gentle winds landing softly in your ears. Sometimes it comes as a hard knock on your door, where plans fly out the window and you are thrown onto the ground, where there is nothing left to do, but to hear. Open and listen to what is deeper, than the colors of mere appearances.

For some it arrives through an unexpected event, a loss of a loved one, or being released from a job. In the grief there is a letting down of walls and we might be more open to what else is here. Or it stirs through a chance meeting with another person, a journey into new lands brings a dawning, or standing on a mountain top with a vast view were we have space to see what is most worthy of our attention. It can happen anywhere- in the grocery store, when you have forgotten everything on your list, the mind just went blank, when all stops, there is a gap and you have the most important revelation of your life.

 The beckoning from the soul, from spirit, your wise heart, a greatness beyond the usual -however you want to name it for yourself- is a calling for you.  To remind you as to why you are here on earth, what gift you bring, an invitation for a life, which can only be fulfilled through you. It is guiding you every step along the way home, if you allow and follow its flow.

Pay attention to that and answer it- for it is the most important calling of your life. It only takes a breath into silence to listen to your heart in this very moment…. what treasure might be revealed for you here?

Blessings to you. Nicola Amadora

copyright material, all rights reserved.

The Great Turning

A call is resounding for “a great turning” in response to the current situation we are facing on our planet. In my eyes, it is as simple as it is profound: to turn to who we really are, to each other, to nature and what is here. Now.

When I awake in the mornings, I look outside my window and often I see sunlight piercing through the clouds, illuminating a golden pathway across the ocean. I hear the constant rhythm of the waves, seals barking, children laughing and playing at the beach, the doves sit happily at my windowsill - I can’t help, but smile and weep for the sheer beauty and gift of this precious life. Then I turn to girls being brutally used through sex trafficking, people who go hungry in an affluent country… Walking on the beach where I collect trash, I meet a pelican, who cannot move anymore, because oil is covering its feathers…

Can we allow our hearts to be as wide as the world in answer to this? Letting truth guide and wisdom live us in the midst of the beauty and mess of our humanness? Are you willing to fully turn and open to the gift you have inside and actually live it- for the sake of all?

I have had many heartbreaks in my life and each time I turned to both the joy and the pain, allowing my heart to open, instead of shutting down (which is tempting, when it hurts like hell) with a willingness to drop deeper than the stories and beliefs, I only discovered an even greater love that is present and alive in everything.

Not a love that covers a pink blanket over what we do not wish to see, or one that is reserved for a few. Or that is unattainable, like from another world we cannot find. You know what I mean, for you have experienced it many a time, may be in moments when least expected.  You may just have a different word for this:

A love that is right here in the midst of it all- that touches you, risks to reach out to another, gets into the muck of it all, connecting us, that cares and dares to take a stand amidst adversity, that moves us into actions which are of benefit; compassion which embraces you, even in the deepest suffering, when all seems lost; a love that has an intelligence far greater than our little minds can comprehend and uncovers a way we may not yet have seen, a love which can move us to step beyond the old story- into life itself, 

This is what I trust. It is always here, even if I too forget at times. That is what I know can help us all to turn. It is the gift in your heart, wanting to be recognized and be expressed in a way that is unique to you. As you do, whether in small or big ways- it makes a difference for us all. Allowing our light to shine forth, not only being a lamp onto ourselves, but for and with each other and the earth- this is already making a pathway across the world. I see it everyday. It isn’t just the Buddha, Christ or a Holy One. The great masters and beings are with us, their ancient teachings can greatly help us along the road. Yet, in this time- it really is up to each one of us. You are the gift. Let’s live what we got in us, like there is no tomorrow, as if our lives depend on it (I guess at this point our survival really does) and support each other. Even if it is a tiny glimmer we can allow and share with another- it matters.  My invitation to you is: Light a great fire with all of us, in your heart and in this world!   Blessed Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanza, Santa Lucia, Hanukkah and New Year to you. Nicola

www.nicolaamadora.com

by Nicola Amadora, all copy rights reserved