The Infinity Prayer

Watch the video of this post.

Listen to the podcast of this post.

I recently spent a day in the woods.  About 45 degrees.  Partially sunny.  

My fire starts easily, blazing with the new wood I hauled.

As I sit and think about things, frustration creeps in.  

• My business is moving much slower than I want.  
• To Do's mount faster than To Done's.
• Great Ideas swirl around in my head and so few are getting implemented.
• I'm not doing my daily exercises or hydration practices consistently.

As I watch the fire, my frustration mounts.

A strong gust of wind blows through the fire and picks up a few red-hot sparks that splash my face.  I recoil and instinctively close my eyes.  

Frustration and heat take me to a body memory 25 years ago.

I'm standing in ceremony on Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota.  Hot sun beating down.  I feel empty.  The fumes in my gas tank were used up hours ago.  Knees weak.  My field of vision is slowly constricting on the edges, gray like tunnel vision.  Yep, I'm ready to pass out.  I lean back and….

Pop!  New sight!

As I sit here by the fire, feeling down, feeling sorry for myself and a bit ashamed, I realize I'm clutching a past moment.  

Let Go!

Sitting by the fire, I engage my 4-step formula for getting out of a "Down" moment.  

Step 1.  Ask 'WHY am I here?'

Feel like you're having a hard time?  You forgot your WHY, your intention.  Ask 'Why' 5 or 7 times.  Each WHY goes deeper until you get to your root Why.  Once you re-embed that intention back into your heart, you feel lighter.

Step 2.  Ask for Help

Talk to your significant other or contact a friend.  Talk about how you feel.  For me, this is SO HARD!  The Lakota phrase, Mitakuye Oyasin, means 'We are All Related.'  My family and friends are there for me and me for them!

Step 3.  Pray an Infinity Prayer

This is not a religious practice.  It's a spiritual one.  I was raised Catholic and I LOVE this particular prayer.  

Glory Be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
As it was in the Beginning, is Now and Always Shall Be
World without End.  Amen

You don't have to use this particular prayer.  Perhaps your spiritual tradition has some sort of Infinity Prayer that links Past, Present and Future all into one beautiful bundle.  If you don't have that, then make one up!  When I pray this way, I'm reminded every past and future moment is exactly the same as this present moment.  

Harmony exists right here, right now.  

If I'm true to the Infinity Prayer, I get VERY present.  If I go through the motions and feel 'Down', I repeat the Infinity Prayer emphasizing the words, "Is NOW" until I get 100% present.  Sometimes my Infinity Prayer gets shortened to just 

"Is Now."

Look, I can't define perfection because perfection is merely an expectation I create.  Perfection in the universe is so much bigger than me!  Everything is perfect as it is.  A tree grows crooked in the woods and grows perfectly, doesn't it?

With my true intention in my heart, feeling held by my relations and feeling infiniteness of this moment, I'm ready for the last step.

Step #4.  Send Up a Thank You!

Each moment is a gift of breath and life.  If I follow these 4 steps, my Thank You fills my being and comes from my soul!  Tears of frustration turn to tears of joy and gratitude.

And that's how I turn a 'Down' moment into a soul-filled Pearl of Harmonic Moment!

My little fire in the woods now has burned to glowing coals in the night.

And I am SHINING!

Live 100% Empowered!