Category: Philosophy – An Examined Life

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My Eagle Has Landed – Far Out!

A Bald Eagle visited us last week. We got the heads up she was around, then I saw her. My husband and I spent the next hour bird watching – fascinated by the size and power of this creature.

Birds are symbolic for me. Perhaps being born into a family with the surname “Hawk” predisposed me to watch out for these beautiful animals.

Maybe the dramatic dream event featuring a flying oracle that arrived at a pivotal moment in my life is what influences my persistent sky gazing. Certainly, Richard Bach’s book Illusions kicked off a decades long habit of collecting blue feathers as a reminder of my ability to manifest my life.

What message is this Eagle here to deliver? Watching for signs from the Universe is enlightening, and personal. This particular visit happened just before the Winter Solstice, while I was meditating on my Intention for the coming year.

In his article about Eagle Symbolism & Meaning (+Totem, Spirit & Omens), Garth C. Clifford suggests:

“An encounter with an eagle is a moving experience which has the potential to broaden one’s mind and open the heart to new experiences. Encountering an eagle is often uplifting. Eagle encounters may occur during times when we are most in need of the eagle’s fearless majesty. Eagle encounters remind us to have faith in ourselves and to choose the righteous path.”

Eagle symbolism is found in many philosophies, including Christianity, Greek Mythology and Celtic Lore. Certain Native Americans believe the eagle to represent “the upward direction. The eagle spirit is a powerful leader, a messenger between earth and the heavens, and even a sacred healer.”

Joyce Elliot looks at What Does a Bald Eagle Symbolize? 7 Powerful Meanings. Her enquiry proposes:

  1. The Power of Freedom; The bald eagle was chosen as an American national symbol in 1782 because of its great size, strength, and beauty. . . it has no natural enemies in North America and thus can fly anywhere it pleases.
  2. You Are Trying To Control Everything; This bird symbolism represents the idea that you are trying to control everything in your life. While this may sound good, it may lead to da [sic] destruction of relationships with other people.
  3. A New Chance In Life; The bald eagle is one of the most recognizable birds in America, and it’s also one of the most powerful symbols. And it’s not just because of its strength…the bald eagle represents a fresh start in life.
  4. Showcase Your Talents; Seeing a bald eagle is a sign from the Universe that you need to start using your talents and secret powers. The animal itself is a symbol of power, freedom, and wisdom, so if you see one, it means that you have a lot of untapped potentials that can be unleashed.
  5. Don’t Pretend; The bald eagle represents the power to be yourself and to do whatever it is you want to do, without fear. Seeing this bird also implies that you need to stop pretending and be yourself.
  6. Don’t Neglect Your Soul; Seeing this bird means that you should not neglect your soul. The bald eagle is a symbol of the power of the spirit and its ability to soar above the material world. It also represents divine guidance and protection.
  7. You Can Do It; Seeing a bald eagle is a positive sign and it means that you need to believe in yourself and your abilities. It represents strength, power, and freedom. It’s also considered to be a sign of good luck and prosperity.

My last bald eagle sighting was in Alaska during the 2003 Summer Solstice. This new spotting was magnificent and momentous. Recently I learned that the Raven is my spirit animal. Between discovering my new envoy and the Eagle sighting, I’m encouraged and eager for my next chapter. Being aware enough to listen to messages meant for me is a gift I give myself.

“The question is not what you look at, but what you see.” ― Henry David Thoreau

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The Winter Solstice – A Time of New Beginnings

The Winter Solstice occurs this week. That moment when the Northern Hemisphere experiences its shortest day and longest night. On its heels is a new moon, the darkest phase of that monthly cycle.

Both represent a shift; astronomically and spiritually. They’re seasonal and monthly cues from the cosmos.

Many traditions suggest the solstice and the new moon are a symbol of new beginnings. Occasions I can reflect on the darkness and the light that dependably follows. Then set intentions for the month and year before me.

The philosophical planner in me is intrigued by this advice. I can use the solstice to set my intention for the coming year at a macro level. The “what” being something like:

If my goal in 2023 is to have ”A Sense of Purpose” – knowing what that means to me, and how to live it authentically is important, personal – and somewhat elusive.

Pinning down an abstract intention and expecting results wants planning and execution. Breaking down big ideas into smaller bits with tangible goals and outcomes helps.

Monday I read in Seth’s Blog: “Boundaries are levers – And assertions are maps.” So yeah; what’s it gonna cost? How long will it take? Planning. Boundaries.

Will my quest for a sense of purpose include therapy, travel, support from family and friends? Decisions to make and projections to consider.

If I use my intention as a guiding star, maybe I’ll be less likely to allow distractions too much oxygen. Or I’ll think twice before being pulled off track by something else equally worthy.

Using the last new moon of 2022 – The Wolf Moon; Friday, December 23 (5:18 AM ET / 10:17 AM UTC) – in the wake of the Winter Solstice; feels like right timing to make a plan.

Next year’s monthly lunar cycle can be a helpful framework to use as a touchstone. A time to check in, evaluate progress and make adjustments.

Now is a time of new beginnings with a lovely schedule to nurture momentum. My intentions are generally good and well placed. My follow-through could use the structure. Paradoxical as it may be, with structure I find empowerment and freedom.

“The winter solstice has always been special to me as a barren darkness that gives birth to a verdant future beyond imagination, a time of pain and withdrawal that produces something joyfully inconceivable, like a monarch butterfly masterfully extracting itself from the confines of its cocoon, bursting forth into unexpected glory.”

– Gary Zukav
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Choose to be Different – If You Want To

We are who we believe we are. Choosing to be different is within our control. Seth Godin’s recent blog post points out this opportunity. He told a friend of his:

“The person we see when we look in the mirror is the person we become, the person we fight to defend and persist with.

If you see someone who doesn’t have a lot of friends, then every time a potential friend comes along, you will find a way to distance yourself from the heartache of being rejected, and you’ll continue to not have a lot of friends.

If you see someone who isn’t happy with inputs you can’t control, then when new inputs come along, you’ll find something wrong with them and seek more control not less.

If you see someone who thrives on challenges, challenges will become a chance to thrive.”

Seth encourages me to show up every day and see the person I want to be. This requires I acknowledge habits of thought that perpetuate a self I don’t want. With this insight, he suggests I change the stories I tell. Stop the drama and the dogged discontent I narrate – to myself and to others. Tell better stories.

Then behave accordingly.

“If you want to become the kind of person who can teach an 8-year-old how to play basketball, you can start doing that right now.

If you want to be the kind of person who leads, you can begin to lead.

If you want to.”

Acknowledge the problem.

Decide to change.

Reprogram beliefs.

Apply new behaviors.

Again and again and again . . .

“If you want to.”

“But this is human life: the war, the deeds,
The disappointment, the anxiety,
Imagination’s struggles, far and nigh,
All human; bearing in themselves this good,
That they are still the air, the subtle food,
To make us feel existence, and to show
How quiet death is.” – Keats

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” ― Confucius

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Wait a Minute – This Too Shall Pass

The world is transient; life is fleeting and temporary. Contemplating this impermanence helps me experience any present moment. Be they good or bad – this too shall pass.

Joyful, lovely events seem brief and ephemeral. While the weight of stifling emotions come across as grueling and permanent. Both sentiments are real and not to be ignored or commanded. Neither last.

In his song “Somebody That I Used to Know,” Goyte sings:

“You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Like resignation to the end, always the end”

Nice little how-do-you-do to figure out.

The choice is mine to make every day. Choose happy, or the blues.

But let me be intentional. Embrace the happiness in the moment. Allow the sadness to exist without some mindless diversion. These feelings are here to teach me something. Experience them, own them – and let them go. As Pema Chodron says:

“If we are willing . . to be mindful not only of what feels comfortable, but also of what pain feels like, if we even aspire to stay awake and open to what we’re feeling, to recognize and acknowledge it as best we can in each moment, then something begins to change.”

This is me having compassion for myself.

Being mindful of our national celebration of thanks – today is a fitting day to absorb this message of appreciation from Abraham Hicks:

“When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and the joy of living, If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself.”

― Tecumseh
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Deliver Me! One Step at a Time

There’s no magic wand delivering me from despair to joy. This universal truth is found in slogans and adages like “one day at a time” and “every journey begins with a single step.”

In the book Ask and it is Given, Esther & Jerry Hicks outline a 22-point scale of emotions. When I find myself in the basement and am wracked with despair, moving up to joy can be quite the trek. Maybe I could heave myself from #22 to #17. Anger is better than the powerlessness despair provokes.

When I want to remember and practice a particular lesson, I take notes. This collection I augmented, teasing out nuances that resonated more authentically for me. Then I pinned it in my phone’s Notes App to keep it handy.

When I get irritated and impatient, I remind myself to move through my cynical sadness and weariness, knowing contentment is around the corner.

Spending most days in the top 7 rungs on this scale is a worthy goal.

This requires I search my inner self and the obstacles to growth and enlightenment.

The lyrics in Fleetwood Mac’s hit Landslide deliver a hopeful, optimistic sentiment toward introspection. The genuine, wistful and self-examining queries open a solid route for this seeker.

”Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?”

As I mature, the reflective nature of this song captures my imagination. I wonder at the energy my highest self can offer the child of my heart.

Will my own acceptance, forgiveness, love and understanding lift me above the tides of life I’m here to live?

The gift of self-awareness brings a boldness that didn’t always show up in earlier seasons. Bringing down the barriers my ego constructs, takes me closer to the peace I desire.

“Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.”

– Jonas Sal
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