the world needs you now (audio poetry 3:43)

July 3, 2018 by rachel

I wrote this timeless message in the 20th century. Full text below the audio. The world needs you now. More than you know. More than you can imagine. The world needs your gifts. Your heart. Your compassion. Your understanding. Your ability to listen To speak To feel And to act. The gifts that only you can give, In the way that you and you alone can give them.  The time for holding back is over. The time for believing that […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, poetry, prose poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, empowerment, higher consciousness, new paradigm, wisdom

sweetsoft sledge hammer redux (audio poetry 4:55)

June 16, 2018 by rachel

Another oldie but goodie, first written in 2011, with audio added 2014. this sweetsoft sledge hammer will not return to the shelf until every vestige of illusion has left the theater, every mask shattered every encrustation brittled into dust and a new order set into a holy and luminescent gridwork of existence freedom does not nibble at your neck in timid invitation your soul will not liberate itself in a delicate minuet, the purveyors of bliss and going gentle into […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, consciousness, higher consciousness, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, poetry, spirituality, transformation, writing & creativity • Tags: hero's journey

personal declaration of radical responsibility (audio poetry 4:29)

April 30, 2018 by rachel

First written and posted November 2012. Audio added today. for everything now fallen away i bear responsibility for every delicious return to the table of earthly delights every soul-numbing morsel of dispossession inhaled, imbibed, every dark and slithery corner into which i stumbled and every moonlit mesa i traveled in the company of the all-knowing sky, i tell you now that i held the key, i turned the lock and this i lay at the feet of no one save […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, higher consciousness, inspiration, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation, writing & creativity • Tags: empowerment

the naked truth redux (audio poetry 3:59)

April 28, 2018 by rachel

This post first appeared here on September 22, 2016. Perhaps this is more than you wish to hear That your origins began eons before you were assigned this body That people around you are holograms or laboratory-created hominoids, When you voiced questions there were no answers Until you stopped asking and simply accepted everything you were told It came at you from all directions Out of the mouths of those assigned to raise you up When, in fact, they wielded the […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, consciousness, higher consciousness, inspiration, planetary shifts, poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: ascension

it is now time to defy the definable (audio poetry 5:20)

April 12, 2018 by rachel

transformationally speaking, you are no longer invited to limp along and strain to uphold that which by rights is crumbling there is no one for you to rescue or to heal – you have only yourself to save you are limitless, you travel beyond bounds that most cannot even wrap their minds around, the disintegration you see and feel is nothing less than infinite potential bursting its way out of too-small boxes whose usefulness is no more you have only […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, planetary shifts, poetry, spirituality, transformation, writing & creativity

classic post: prayer for radical courage (audio poetry 3:27)

April 10, 2018 by rachel

Anytime I feel that I have nothing left to write, I am reminded that most of what I do is timeless. This prayerpoem was posted most recently in late 2013. Joan of Arc’s famous words: “I am not afraid. I was born for this.” in all things, may i travel unarmored and unafraid, settled into a quiet cradle whose gentle sway bears the mark of the mother’s hand let my mind be emptied of false truths and accusations stripped free […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: courage, empowerment, prayer

Know How Beautiful You Are (audio poetry 2:52)

April 7, 2018 by rachel

These words first appeared at Be Whole Now in May 2014, and tugged at me to re-record and repost them today. I want you to know how beautiful you are How the unending circle of existence pales without your radiance The song of creation falters to find its home key A crystalline web hangs jagged, incomplete A filament of light dances disconnected Angels await the return of one of their own I want to remind you of the singular gift […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, poetry, spirituality, transformation • Tags: wisdom

7 Things I Love About You

June 24, 2017 by rachel

7 Things I Love About You I love your strength, your willingness to hold on or let go as is appropriate — and God, I love that indefatigable spirit of yours. I love that no matter how many times you have been knocked down or led astray by a cacophony of hollow promises and seductive allurements, you have always gotten back on track and up and into the saddle, no matter how long or arduous the climb. I love how […]

Categories: affirmations, audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, love, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: change, empowerment

be transformed 26/26 (audio 2:13)

May 14, 2017 by rachel

This is the twenty-sixth (and final) installment from “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change,” which I wrote in 2009. Be Transformed Every change and transition that you weather brings you to where you are today and immediately transforms you into someone different than you were yesterday or even five minutes ago. Whether you are changed personally, professionally, financially, emotionally, psychologically, or spiritually, the person who walks out the door is decidedly different […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation, writing & creativity • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth, personal metamorphosis

be in touch with your feelings 25/26 (audio 2:16)

May 13, 2017 by rachel

This is the twenty-fifth installment of “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be in Touch with Your Feelings Feeling nervous? More than a tad afraid? A bit angry, even? Allow yourself to feel your feelings. Questioning your own sanity? Giddy and exhilarated? Connect deeply with your feelings and feel grateful that you are able to feel them. Strides in personal development can bring up an entire spectrum of feelings, and often all […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, feelings, personal growth

be a conqueror 24/26 (audio 2:08)

May 12, 2017 by rachel

This is the twenty-fourth installment from “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be a Conqueror You can rise above it all. No matter what change throws your way, you can conquer your fears with a strong spirit and deeply held values. Yes,  you can, and yes, you will. You will triumph over lingering doubts and uncertainty by filling up your reservoir of self-esteem with self-care and nurturance. You will rise above petty […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation, writing & creativity • Tags: awakening, change, life wisdom

be audacious 23/26 (audio 1:57)

May 11, 2017 by rachel

This is the twenty-third installment from “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be Audacious Once your moorings are untied, you can steer yourself into open and uncharted waters. Out of the boxes and pigeonholes that have defined you, you are free to go boldly where you perhaps have never ventured before. Cowering in the face of approaching change is for cowards. Busting out with exhilarated glee is for warriors of the heart […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth

be expressive 22/26 (audio 1:40)

May 10, 2017 by rachel

This is the twenty-second installment of “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be Expressive Some people invite change in and then let it rattle around endlessly with no place to go. Perhaps they develop buyer’s remorse or find themselves overtaken by a case of cold feet. When energy wishes to move — and change is, after all, nothing more than energy in transit — it needs an outlet. It’s up to you […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, transformation, writing & creativity • Tags: awakening, change, creative expression

be grounded 21/26 (audio 1:48)

May 9, 2017 by rachel

This is the twenty-first installment from “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be Grounded Don’t get carried away! Creating a refreshingly different life can be intoxicating and jolt you out of your ho-hum existence, making it hard to keep both feet on the ground. You might suddenly be overwhelmed by new ideas and possibilities and wonder how you will ever narrow the list down to a manageable size. Remember to breathe, and […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth

be willing to redefine what is perfect 20/26 (audio 1:45)

May 8, 2017 by rachel

This is the twentieth installment of “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way through Change.” Be Willing to Redefine What Is Perfect There are no guarantees that change will lead you down the road to a glossy, picture-perfect version of success or great achievement. More often than not, the best and highest value that change offers is in the way you choose to experience it. Perfection is in the eye of the beholder, and your […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth

be steadfast 19/26 (audio 1:55)

May 7, 2017 by rachel

This is the nineteenth installment of “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be Steadfast Only a true survivor can weather the turbulence that often accompanies change. There will be times you feel downtrodden, as though no matter how far you trudge on, you remain exactly where you began. Change can proceed so slowly that you barely notice. It begins deep below the surface and makes its way outward at the pace of […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, faith

be aligned with your own truth 18/26 (audio 2:04)

May 6, 2017 by rachel

This is the eighteenth installment of “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be Aligned with Your Own Truth The terrain you travel is a universe unto itself, and to its original design you must hold true. Someone close to you may find great joy in going to college and then settling into a steady professional groove. You, on the other hand, may be happiest with a life centered around your family, studio, […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth

be a dancer 17/26 (audio 1:50)

May 5, 2017 by rachel

This is the seventeenth installment in “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be a Dancer Change invites you to participate in the dance of your own unfolding. Can you say “Yes” without knowing the precise steps you will take? Are you willing to heed the changing rhythms of metamorphosis and be flexible? When you surrender control, change will deftly lead the way. Other times you will take the initiative, guiding your steps […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth

be introspective 16/26 (audio 1:44)

May 2, 2017 by rachel

This is the sixteenth installment from “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be Introspective It is insincere to believe that you are a helpless victim of powerful forces beyond your control. Can you detach from external circumstances and travel to new territory within? Can you allow yourself to imagine that in the larger scheme of things, what comes across as a master stroke of bad luck is, in fact, a decision you […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth, wisdom

be prepared for gifts and goodness 15/26 (audio 2:01)

May 2, 2017 by rachel

This is the fifteenth installment of “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be Pepared for Gifts and Goodness When winds of change blow, it’s all too easy to bemoan what is carried away in the process. Why not choose to notice the gifts and goodness flying in to fill the void? You need not expect change to be all disordered chaos; clouds are indeed often lined with silver. Look! Good fortune peeks […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth

be as relaxed as possible 14/26 (audio 2:07)

May 1, 2017 by rachel

  This is the fourteenth installment from “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be as Relaxed as Possible Change has an unerring capacity to throw you for a loop, so be gentle with yourself and stay as relaxed as you possibly can. It’s neither necessary nor desirable to focus every bit of every day battling or promoting the change brewing in your world. The more tense you are, the more resistance you […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth

whatever your dance of life looks like (audio poetry 4:00)

April 30, 2017 by rachel

Consider this a half-time break in the posting of 26 inspirational nuggets from “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” I’ll resume that in a day or two. This poetry originally appeared two years ago, with a different title (“what it looks like”), different audio, and different art. It seems quite right for the times. whatever your dance of life looks like It looks like nothing, this untrammeled everything It looks like yesterday […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, planetary shifts, poetry, spirituality, transformation, writing & creativity • Tags: higher consciousness, life, love

be adaptable 13/26 (audio 1:53)

April 29, 2017 by rachel

This is the thirteenth installment of “Be  Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be Adaptable There are times to be patient and times to act. There are times to rise up strong and independent and times to sink to the floor in surrender. Change may very well ask you to be wildly proactive one day and hands-off the next, or an outspoken go-getter one week and a quiet listener before the next one […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth

be private 12/26 (audio 1:41)

April 28, 2017 by rachel

This is the twelfth installment of “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be Private There’s a reason why your personal path is called an inner journey. Much of it is between you and the deepest recesses of your being. It may also reflect an intimate relationship between you and your chosen God, Source, or Creator. Depending on the size and culture of your extended family or social circle, the news of the […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth

be a beginner 11/26 (audio 1:45)

April 27, 2017 by rachel

This is the eleventh installment of “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be A Beginner Once things go topsy-turvy, you may feel disoriented and bewildered. You may be thrust into alien environments and circumstances, as though you are relying on a different operating system than everyone around you. There’s no need to  perceive this as a problem. You’re not incapable or unaccomplished; you’re simply a beginner acquiring new skills and competency. You […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth, wisdom

be mournful 10/26 (audio 1:45)

April 26, 2017 by rachel

This is the tenth installment of “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be Mournful Do not be surprised if you become sad or heavy-hearted after change comes knocking at your door. Even when you consciously initiate positive change and are excited to welcome new opportunities into your life, you will still need to grieve for all that is passing. Some beliefs and habits are deeply ingrained within your psyche and, for better […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth

be able to ask for support 9/26 (audio 1:41)

April 25, 2017 by rachel

This is the ninth installment of “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be Able to Ask for Support When you realize that change is natural, you understand why you need not feel shame or embarrassment around what you’re going through. Asking for help is never a show of weakness and always bespeaks courage. If you have been thrown off balance and desire a willing ear or fresh perspective to help return you […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth

be kaleidoscopic 8/26 (audio 2:08)

April 24, 2017 by rachel

This is the eighth installment of “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be Kaleidoscopic If you’ve ever peered through a kaleidoscope, you know the beauty and delight produced through constantly changing patterns. The tiniest shifts this way or that bring forth an unending parade of color and light. You, too, contain an untold repertoire of facets, and slight shifts in one direction or another can evoke surprising results. What if you altered […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth

be self-nurturing 7/26 (audio 1:39)

April 23, 2017 by rachel

This is the seventh installment of “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be Self-Nurturing Change can come barreling toward you like a freight train out of control or blossom slowly from within like a tender rose. Either way, it can be an arduous journey. Ending relationships that have run their course is not easy, and establishing new friendships can be equally daunting. Leaving a long-held job by choice or circumstance will bring […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, personal growth, spirituality, transformation • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth

be willing to take one step at a time 6/26 (audio 1:45)

April 22, 2017 by rachel

This is the sixth installment of “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be Willing to Take One Step at a Time Even when you embrace change, you cannot gulp the whole thing down at once. Think of the old adage about eating an elephant one bite at a time. You have the greatest likelihood of sailing through significant upheaval when you break down the overwhelming big picture into small, disgestible units. Before […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, transformation, writing & creativity • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth

be a champion for your own life 5/26 (audio 1:35)

April 21, 2017 by rachel

This is the fifth installment of “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be a Champion for Your Own Life Although you may gather a wide circle of support to assist you through turbulent transitions, ultimately you are the star of your own show. The unfailing commitment to redesign your life must originate within you. Only you can muster the inner fortitude required for the spiritual heavy lifting you will face. When you […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, spirituality, transformation • Tags: audio inspiration, awakening, change, personal growth

be full of desire 4/26 (audio 1:51)

April 20, 2017 by rachel

This is the fourth installment of “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be Full of Desire It is not enough to want change in the way you want a new pair of shoes or even a new car. Your desire to bring about renewal in your life must burn hot and deep within you. You must ache for lasting happiness and yearn for greater authenticity in all aspects of living. Only then […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, spirituality, transformation, writing & creativity • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth

Be Dissatisfied 3/26 (audio 1:57)

April 19, 2017 by rachel

This is the third installment of “Be Ready for the Wonderful: Words of Well-Being to Ease Your Way Through Change.” Be Dissatisfied At times you may not ask for change, yet it will find you nonetheless. You might keep up a happy face and reassure yourself and others that everything is fine — even while harboring discontent deep inside. Feeling a grumpy dissatisfaction day after day is a bright red flag signaling that a part of you desires something different. […]

Categories: audio, body mind & spirit, inspiration, transformation, writing & creativity • Tags: awakening, change, personal growth