I’ve noticed over the years that most people are influenced most of the time by what happens at the external levels of their lives. When things are going as they want, everything’s fine and the mood that’s dialed up is contentment and happiness. However, when the externals of life cease to be what are wanted, the emotional life drops into antagonism, anxiety, apathy, blame, depression or some combination of them. Have you noticed these mood swings in yourself and others? What if you could live in the energy of surprise and delight all the time?

To live within the energy of surprise and delight is to live with what’s called ‘Beginner’s Mind’ in the Buddhist tradition and ‘Childlikeness’ in the Christian tradition. It’s an attitude of being present with whatever shows up. It’s recognizing that everything you want is already here in the field of Life and on its way. It’s a receptivity to how the process of creation works even when you’re not conscious of it. There’s an inner knowing that whatever is manifesting can be used for love of life when you perceive it from the inside out. Here you become a co-creator.

It’s been said that if you can perceive it you can receive it. Our Inner Being, in connection with our deepest needs and wants co-creates the vision, the image of our want. Our job is to align our energy to the frequency of the image. It’s like tuning in to a channel on the radio that you’ve found and want to reconnect with. You tune into the frequency of that particular channel to receive the broadcast. If you’re not tuned in, you don’t receive the transmission. Your part is to know what you want so you can tune into the appropriate frequency. Much of the time we miss.

I have some dear friends who moved onto their dream property many years ago.They were amazingly happy and pleased with it until recently when they decided to downsize. They set their intention to sell over a year ago but it hasn’t sold. They’re depressed that the property isn’t selling rather than celebrating that it’s on it’s way to selling and enjoying the play everyday. They’re sabotaging themselves by not perceiving the house as already sold. They’re losing their joy in the process. The call is to relax, release and rejoice in what’s here and on its way.

Do you get what I’m saying here? So much of the time we stall the receptivity of our inner longing because we perceive it but don’t believe it or are not ready to receive it. In so doing, we tune into an energy vibration that’s not aligned with that of the Great Creating. Our emotional awareness is our guidance system.  When we’re in alignment with Inner Being we feel really good and are appreciating what’s in front of us while waiting patiently for what we’ve sent for. We allow what’s happening with surprise and delight. We’re present and receptive. . .

I remember a loss I had a decade ago that wiped out everything material I’d worked for my whole adult life. I was devastated. It took me down so far that I quit everything I was involved in except my job and family. My energy dropped, I went into despair and cried out in the darkness at how unfair it was. I got reintroduced to my victim self and took a deep dive into self pity. With a lot of inner work, psycho-spiritual, emotional and physical support I finally came out of my darkness. I set a new intention for a different kind of prosperity and opened up to allow it.

Through this process I was able to identify what I didn’t want in my life: pride, despair, regret, arrogance, anger, chaos, alienation and unconsciousness. This allowed me to clarify what I truly and deeply wanted so I could perceive it and receive it. This new vision was enough to bring me back into appreciation for what I still had, cultivate it and allow the openings of my heart and mind to follow a new trajectory. Everyday now is filled with surprise and delight and yet, I still find myself having to consciously relax, release, realign and renew my vision and actions.

When we tap into our emotions as a significant monitor for our internal guidance system we can realign our lives with Inner Being and the frequencies of Abundant Life. This gives us a compass to navigate the many turns that come within the River of Life. The key is to follow the paths of Love, Learning, Lightheartedness, Joy and Peace. These become the touchstones for our longings and co-creations which are connected to our emotional intelligence.

How are you feeling? How much are you allowing your inner dance to lead your joyful advance? How often are you letting go of sorrow for surprise, disappointment for delight?   Have you requested what you truly want? Are you living into it with surprise and delight? Can you smile awhile, laugh a lot, appreciate the movement and give it all you’ve got?

• Take a reading on this very simple emotional scale: Are you presently mad, glad, sad, afraid or some combination of these? If you’re in an emotional state that’s bringing you down stop, close your eyes and envision the opposite emotion. Feel the wonder, the love, the joy, the peace that’s always here. Stay with it until you feel your whole body relaxing and smiling . . .

• Notice how easy it was for you to shift from denying emotions to affirming emotions. Remember, if you can perceive it you can receive it. Practice upgrading your emotional state whenever you notice it in a negative and depressing state. Practice enlightening up . . .

• Close your eyes again and envision the life you want; your highest and deepest needs, wants and longings…..Stay within the vision and feel your way around the powerful affirmation of love, joy and peace that’s given by Inner Being. Sense the interconnectedness with Abundant Life, truth and the possibilities in your vision. Feel the Grace of this Embrace . . .

• Return to the above space daily and feel it’s Presence again. Live into it energetically and know, in this field of dreams, when you ask it is given. It’s now here and on its way. Relax, Release, Rejoice. . . Perceive, Receive, Believe . . . Allow Surprise and Delight Everyday . . .