In a perfect world

We were all busy getting ready to wrap up our three day family Thanksgiving visit. My sister was getting the car packed, I was gathering the last of my things, my mother was shutting the lights when suddenly my eight year old niece turned to me and said: Hayley, are you excited to be going home?

I was a little distracted and I mindlessly replied: Yes, I guess I am.

Are you? I asked back, as I began to realize that there might be more to this question that meets the eye.

No, I am not excited to go home. She replied.

I looked in her eyes and saw she was sad to be saying goodbye.

I stopped what I was doing and said yes, it is sad we are all leaving. In a perfect world we could see each other every day.

Yes, she said and then she added: In a perfect world Josh and Anne and the cousins could live with us too.

Yes, in a perfect world we could all play games together every night. I replied. And eat bagels and cream cheese every morning and go for walks in the woods together.

Yes, she replied now getting into the conversation more fully. In a perfect world Zadie (my father/ her grandfather) would still be alive and I could run races with him and i would win. She said.

At this point my sister and mother had joined in on the conversation. My sisters’ eyes welded up as she said: Remember when Zadie would give you piggy back rides and run through the whole house with you on your back.

Yes, said the eight-year-old. That was so fun. And Zadie would always tell silly jokes too.

There was a moment of silence. I moment of appreciation for what was. A moment of heart opening as we all remembered what we had put aside in our haste to get out the door.

And then the moment past, as all moments do, and my eight-year-old niece said: I guess I am a little excited to get home. I haven’t seen Reagan, my best friend, in a long time….a whole week I think.

I guess I’m a little excited to get home too. I replied. I have people I haven’t seen in a while too.

And with that we did a big group hug and got into our cars.

I looked out my window and saw the eight-year-old waving at me and smiling. I waved back and smiled.

And with that we all drove off in different directions. Each back to our perfectly, imperfect lives.

~Hayley Mermelstein~

Behold God and Love.

Can you stay in the vibration of love both for yourself and others?
Can you behold the God force in yourself and all those around you?

This is your challenge as you enter into the holiday season.
This is your challenge as you go through your life.

What if your main objective was to stay in the vibration of love?
What if your main objective was to love yourself and offer love to all those around you?

What if your main objective was to be a messenger of love?

Could you complete your high and destined role?

You will be challenged.

You will stumble, for learning to love in a world filled with discord and disharmony is not an easy task.

But see this as the task set before you: to learn to love, to learn to be a messenger of love.

See yourself as a messenger of love now.

Learn to offer love to all those around you.

If you see yourself as a messenger of love you will not be so offended by the imbalances that you see.

Learn to love the imbalances.
Learn to have compassion for the imbalances.

Learn to be a messenger of love whether you are alone or in a crowd, whether you are with friends or adversaries.

Learn to be a radiant being of light and love.

No one said this would be easy.

The earth is a school and everyone is learning and everybody is growing and everyone is the divine in drag.

Learn to see past the illusion.
Learn to see the divine in everyone that you encounter.

Make this your objective:
To love and to see the divine in everyone.

Don’t worry so much about how you are treated.
That is not your responsibility.

Your job, your responsibility is how you treat others.
Your job this holiday season is to love and to see the divine in others.

See past the illusion.

In human form you will see control issues, imbalances, lack of clarity, confusions, jealousies, hurt and pain.

See past all that.

See beneath the human illusion and recognize the god force, the divine in all whom you encounter.

How do others begin to show up differently when you learn to see beneath the human illusion?

All are flawed.
All are wounded in human form.
All are out of balance in one way or another.

Make it your practice this holiday season to offer love and to see the divine behind the eyes of those with whom you interact.

See what changes when you change.

Be gentle with yourself because you will be challenged and this is not an easy task.

It is a practice.

And so begin the practice now of being the being of love and light that you wish to be here upon the earth.

Give others the gift of seeing their true self.
Give others the gift of seeing their divine self.

Do not be blind to the human weaknesses and flaws of others.
Do not be naïve.
Do not put yourself in harms way,

But do practice seeing beneath the illusion

Remember that the divine lives in everyone.
Remember that the god force lives in everyone.

It is your job and your mission this holiday season and always for that matter to practice being a being of love upon this planet and to practice seeing beneath the human illusion.

See the God force in everyone and see how this begins to transform your human relations.

With some people this will be easier than others.
We put challenging people in your path for a reason.

Do not be a doormat.
Do not be subservient to those around you.
Do not allow others to take advantage of you.

Be loving to yourself and well as loving to others.

Practice loving yourself and practice loving others.
Be the being of love that you are.

Love will guide you.
We will guide you.

Make being a being of love a priority.

Lead with love and love will guide you.
Love will show you way.

This may sound trite, but it is true.

Go deep into the vibration of love and it will create such a coherence in your body and mind that the way forward will reveal itself to you.

Love yourself and love others.
No one is excluded from this equation.

Make this your practice this holiday season.

See the challenges in your environment as an opportunity to grow stronger in your abilities to offer love no matter what.

Again, be gentle with yourself. No one said this would be an easy task.

As you enter into this season practice daily seeing the divine in others and offering love.

Everyone longs to be seen.

The human foibles are not the true self.
The god force beneath the illusion is the true self.

Give others the gift of being seen.
See beneath the illusion and offer love.

Behold God and love.
Behold God and love.
Behold God and love.

These are your simple instructions for the holiday season and your life.

Behold God and love.
Behold God and love.
Behold God and love.

What will show up differently in your life when you show up differently?

How will the people in your life transform when you see the greatness in them?

Most people overestimate what can happen in a short period of time and underestimate what can happen in a longer period of time.

Be curious always: What shows up differently when you show up differently? What changes when you change?

You cannot change others.
Your job is to change yourself.

Stop taking other people’s inventory.
Take your own.

What shows up differently when you show up differently?

You have two jobs right now:

Behold God in yourself and others and
Love yourself and love others.

See this as a practice.
See this as a meditation.

See this as your work and your job.

Be curious about what changes when you change.

Be patient.
Be true.

This is a process.

Slowly and gently awaken the divine in yourself and others by seeing the divine in yourself and others.

Slowly and gently be a healing force in the world by offering love to whatever arises in yourself and others.

Behold God and love.
Behold God and love.
Behold God and love.

This is your sacred assignment for now and always.

This is your practice.
This is your job.

This is your mission statement for life.

Behold God and love.
Behold God and love.
Behold God and love.

It is all about you and your perceptions.

Do not try to change anyone else.
Only work on yourself.

Behold God and love.
Behold God and love.
Behold God and love.

Behold God and love.
Behold God and love.
Behold God and love.

I am special and you are special.

I am special.
I am special.

I am unique.
I am me.

There is no one quite like me on the planet.
There is no one with my unique gifts, talents, and mission.

I am special.
I am special.

I am special and therefore I value myself.
I am special and therefore I love myself.

I am special.
I am special.

I am unique.
I am valuable.

I am special.
I am special.

I am special and we are all special.
I am special and we are all special.

Unique like a snowflake.

I am special.
I am special.

I am special and you are special.
I am special and you are special.

I am special.
I am special.
I am special.

Take a moment now and allow yourself to feel special. Embody the vibration. Feel it. Allow yourself to feel special. When you allow yourself to feel special there is a sparkle in your energy field. Feel special. Radiate the feeling of being of special.

Affirm frequently: I am special. I am special. I am special.
What shows up differently in your life when you show up differently?

So often we try to change the external world so that we can feel better. What if changed our vibration and then observed how the external world begins to show up differently? Wbat changes when we change?

For today affirm: I am special. I am special. I am special.
Be aware of what shows up differently when you show up differently?

What changes when you go through the day in the energy of: I am special?
How do you show up differently? And how does the world around you reconfigure as you reconfigure?

All of life is a mirror. Embody the energy I am special and see what changes.

Remember that just like you are unique and special, so is everyone else. Practice seeing others as special as well. How do other people respond when you treat them as if they too are special?

Affirm frequently: I am special and you are special. I am special and you are special. Practice seeing other people as special and see how they show up differently.

Let this be your grand experiment with life.

I experience love wherever I go.

I experience love wherever I go.
I experience love wherever I go.

I live in a loving universe.
I live in a loving universe.

All of life is conspiring in my favor.
All of life is conspiring in my favor.

I am love and love is all around me.
I am love and love is all around me.

I give love with ease.
I give love with ease.

I receive love with ease.
I receive love with ease.

Loving people fill my world.
Loving people fill my world.

I experience love wherever I go.
I experience love wherever I go.

I am love.
I am love.

I exude love.
I exude love.

I radiate love.
I radiate love.

I am a radiant being of light and love.
I am a radiant being of light and love.

All the love that I put out into the universe comes back to me multiplied.
Love is all around me.

I am love and love is all around me.
I am love and love is all around me.

My world is filled with love.
My world is filled with love.

I live in a loving universe.
All of life is conspiring in my favor.

Divine love guides me.
Divine love guides me.

Divine love is all around me.
Divine love is all around me.

I experience love wherever I go.
I experience love wherever I go.

I experience miracles.
I experience miracles.

I experience synchronicities.
I experience synchronicities.

I experience love wherever I go.
I experience love wherever I go.

Everything is always working out for me.
Everything is always working out for me.

All of life is conspiring in my favor.
All of life is conspiring in my favor.

I experience love wherever I go.
I experience love wherever I go.
I experience love wherever I go.

Take a moment now to affirm: I experience love wherever I go. Feel it. Embody it. Become it. Radiate it.

What might it be like to hold this attitude for an hour, a day, a week or a month? What might change in your life if you could hold this attitude more and more.

So often we are reacting to our lives, reacting to the circumstances that present themselves. What is instead we radiated the energy we wished to experience? What is we were at cause in our life? What if instead of being reactors we were powerful creators?

Practice stepping into a creator role today. Practice becoming a powerful creator. Affirm frequently: I experience love wherever I go. I experience love wherever I go. I am a powerful creator. I create a life of love. I experience love wherever I go. I experience love wherever I go.

Allow this to be your experiment with life. What shows up differently when you show up differently? What changes when you change?

Allow this to be a process. What would happen if you cultivated this attitude over time?

Many people overestimate what can happen in a short period of time and underestimate what can happen in a longer period of time.

Commit to a new attitude today and see what happens over time. Be patient and be persistent. Be a powerful creator in your life rather than a reactor to the circumstances that you find yourself in.

I will be practicing right along with you!

~Hayley Mermelstein

P.s. This is an excerpt from our Thursday night meditation class. If you would like more information about either our Monday night group healing or Thursday night meditation group (both happening on zoom) please feel free to text or call at 413-992-8581, I look forward to hearing from you!

Please Don’t Call Me a Saint.

You are such a saint, she said in a text just the other day.
And I cringed inside.

I know that I am not a saint.

I know that I have poor boundries sometimes.
I know that I have trouble saying no.

I know that I over give so that I will be liked.
I know that I abandon myself sometimes.

I know that I put other peoples needs before my own.
I know that I am not a saint.

So please don’t call me saint.

If you want to be helpful,

Remind me to not abandon myself.
Remind me that my needs matter too.

Remind me that being nice is not the same as being real or authentic or compassionate or wise.

If you want to be helpful remind me to love myself.

On second thought,

I do not need you to remind me.
I will take full responsibility for myself.

I will remind myself:

Your needs matter.
You matter.

Be real.
Be authenitic.

Say no when you want to say no.
Stop being such a people pleaser.

And above all else:

Learn to love yourself.
Learn to listen to yourself.

Learn to listen to the whispers of spirit within you and all around you.
Learn to serve the oneness of which you are a part.

Don’t abandon yourself.

Life will keep challenging you until you learn to listen,
until you learn to love yourself.

Life is a relentless teacher.

Putting you in impossible situations until you stand up for yourself,
Until you learn to listen to your own needs.

We will not allow you to abandon yourself any more.
So cry uncle early.

And above all else learn to love yourself, truly and deeply love yourself.

You matter.
Your needs matter.

We love you.
We won’t abandon you.

So, please don’t call me a saint.

I don’t want the role and I don’t want the calling.
And besides that is rewarding my wounds.

I want to be real.
I want to authentic.

I want to be true to myself.
I want to love myself.

Only then will I be a true saint.
But at that point you probably won’t see it.

You will probably like me better when I’m wounded.
But that is okay.

I’m learning to love myself.
And in the end, that all that really matters.

I am free and you are free.

I am free and you are free.
I am free and you are free.

I give you freedom to be you.
I give you freedom to make your own choices about how to be in this world.

I grant myself freedom too.

I am free and you are free.
I am free and you are free.

You are free to come and
you are free to go.

I hold no one hostage.

The slate is clear.
You owe me nothing.

I am free and you are free.
I am free and you are free.

A plate of freedom all around.
A plate of freedom all around.

And mostly, I free myself.
I owe no one.

I give thanks to all who have assisted me through the murky waters of my own soul.
I am forever grateful.

But I cut the cords now.
I let go of moving from a place of guilt or obligation.

I listen only to the inner voices that guide me.
I listen only to the whispers of spirit that are all around me.

I let go of people pleasing now.
I let go of abandoning myself.

I will not abandon myself and
I will not abandon the spiritual forces that guide me in order to be pleasing.

I am free.
I am free.

I am free to be myself.
I am free to be myself.

I am free to listen to my own inner promptings.
I am free to listen to the spiritual forces that guide me.

At long last,

I am free.
I am free.

I am free and you are free.
I am free and you are free.

A plate of compassion all around.

I am free and you are free.
I am free and you are free.
I am free and you are free.

Be wise, not right.

One of my meditation teachers often says:
“Be wise, not right.”

In this world of division, opposing views, right verses wrong thinking, we must learn to quiet our minds and listen for the wise response to the various situations we find ourselves in.

For me, this is perhaps one of the greatest challenges of this period of time.

What is my highest response?
What is my wisest response?

It is easy to feel right.
It is easy to feel superior.
It is easy to feel judgemental.

But what is the wise response to the situations we find ourselves in?

What is my deepest response?
What is my most compassionate response?
What is my highest response?

I’m still exploring this for myself.
And I will make many mistakes along the journey and yet the aspiration continues.

What else can we do but ask ourselves:

What is my highest response to this situation?
What does wisdom say?

This answer can not be found within the analytical mind. This answer cannot be found in black and white thinking. This answer cannot be found within the veil of anger and judgementalness. This answer can only be found in stillness. This answer can only be found in quietude. This answer can only be found in deep listening.

No one else can tell you this answer and no one else may agree.
It can be a lonely and deep journey to the center of yourself.

During times of great divide we must all learn to listen deeply within and seek to find our highest response.

It is not an easy time for anyone.
The forces that be want us divided.

Be kind.
Be generous.

And ask frequently: What is my wisest response? What is my highest response? What is the loving thing to do?

Be kind to others and do not propose to know what is right for them. Everyone is on their own unique journey with their own unique guidance system.

Everyone is doing the best they can.

In the words of Rumi:

Out beyond the ideas of right doing and wrong doing there is a field. I will meet you there.

~Hayley Mermelstein

I am an infinite being of light

I am an infinite being of light.
I am an infinite being of light.

Light.
Light.

Infinite.
Infinite.

I am an infinite being of light and love.
I am an infinite being of light and love.

I am light.
I am light.

I am love.
I am love.

At my core there is only light.
At my core there is only love.

All else is part of the illusion.

See deeply now.

Beyond the illusion of separation.
Beyond the illusion of discord.
Beyond the illusion of sickness.

Beyond the illusion of separation is only unity.
Beyond the illusion of discord is only harmony.
Beyond the illusion of sickness is only wellness..

See beyond the illusion now.

Allow your observation to awaken the truth.

See beyond the illusion of separation and activate unity.
See beyond the illusion of discord and active harmony.
See beyond the illusion of sickness and activate wellness.
See beyond the illusion of limitation and activate abundance.

At your core you are an infinite being of light.
At your core you are an infinite of love.
At your core you are the abundance of the universe.

Remember the truth of who you are.

You are light.
You are love.
You are power.
You are wellness.
You are wealth.
You are abundance.
You are compassion.
You are wholeness.

See beyond the illusion of separation now.

You are an infinite being of light.
You are an infinite being of light.

As you remember the truth of who you are you activate the truth of who yoo are.

When you remember your true identity you help to bring your true identity into form.

You are an infinite being of light.
You are an infinite being of love.
You are an infinite being of wellness.
You are an infinite being of power.
You are an infinite being of abundance.

At the deepest level there is only light, only love, only wellness, only abundance, only compassion, only wisdom, only power, only whoneness, only wellness, only oneness.

See beyond the illusion of separation.
See beyond the illusion of sickness.
See beyond the illusion of limitation.
See beyond the illusion of disharmony.

See beyond the illusion and see the truth.

There is only wellness.
There is only unity.
There is only unlimited nature.
There is only abundance.
There is only love.
There is only peace.
There is only harmony.

Activate the observer effect.
Remember your true identity:

You are an infinite being of light.
You are an infinite being of light.

You have simply forgotten the truth of who you are.
Activate the observer effect by remembering who you are.

As you remember that you are an infinite being of light you help to bring it into form.

As you remember that you are an infinite being of light you help to awaken that light not only in yourself but in all those who come in contact with you or who even think about you,

You are an infinite being of light.
You are not your body.

You are the infinite.
You are the all in all.

Remember.
Remember.

Become it now.
Affirm frequently:

I am an infinite being of light.
I am an infinite being of light.
I am an infinite being of light.

I am an infinite being of wholeness.
I am an infinite being of wellness.
I am an infinite being of abundance.
I am an infinite being of love.
I am an infinite being of compassion.

At the deepest level there is only unity.
At the deepest level there is only love.
At the deepest level there is only abundance.
At the deepest level there is only wisdom.
At the deepest level there is only wellness.
At the deepest level there is only wholeness.
At the deepest level there is only power.
At the deepest level there is only compassion.

At the deepest level there is only light.
See beyond the illusion now and activate the divine by seeing the divine.

At the deepest level is only God force.
Demonstrate the divine by seeing the divine everyone.

Only God is real.
Only God is real.

The rest is illusion.
Active the divine by seeing the divine.

I am an infinite being of light.
I am an infinite being of light.
I am an infinite being of light.

See it.
Feel it.
Become it.

Allow your whole world to transform as you sit in the remembrance of your true identity.

I am an infinite being of light.
I am an infinite being of light.
I am an infinite being of light.

What is right for the whole?

At the deepest spiritual level there is consensus about what is right for the whole.

There is not your needs and my needs.
There is simply what is best for the whole.

At the deepest spiritual level there is consensus.

When you are in a deep place in you and
I am in a deep place in me there is consensus about what is right for the whole.

And so listen deeply now and ask:

What best serves the oneness?
What is best for the whole?

At the deepest spiritual level there is agreement about what is best for the whole.

There is not your needs and my needs,
There is simply what best serves the oneness.

At the deepest spiritual level there is agreement about what best serves the oneness.

And so listen deeply within.
Ask what best serves the oneness in this situation.

At the deepest spiritual level there is consensus about what is best for the whole.

In compromise is you get some of what you want and I get some of what I want.

In consensus you are listening deeply and coming to an agreement about what is truly best for the whole.

True consensus can only be attained through deep listening.

This is not an intellectual exercise.
This is an exercise of deep listening.

And so commit to listening deeply within.

Ask frequently:
What would best serve the oneness in this situation.

When serving the oneness everyones needs are taken into account.
When serving the oneness everyones needs matter.

If you listen deeply you will hear the still small voice of spirit whispering in your ear.

Saying you matter.
Everyone matters.

When listening deeply everyone’s deepest spiritual needs will be taken into account.

And so listen deeply now so that you will know what best serves the oneness moment by moment.

When you serve the oneness you serve the deepest needs of each person involved.

Do not seek to please the personality for the personality does not always know what is best for the whole.

Seek to listen at the deepest level possible, so that you can truly do what is in the best interest of all concerned.

It does not serve the oneness to enable weakness.
It does not serve the oneness to seek to please the personality.
It does not serve the oneness to ignore your own needs.
It does not serve the oneness to ignore the needs of others.

Again, to serve the oneness you must listen deeply and ask:
What best serves the oneness in this situation?

When you ask and listen in this way the deepest needs of all concerned will be addressed.
Everyone matters.

You matter.
Your needs matter.

Others matter.
Their needs matter.

At the deepest spiritual level there is consensus about what serves the whole.
Seek to serve at the deepest spiritual level.

Ask frequently:
What best serves the oneness in this situation?

Listen in this way and allow yourself to be guided in right action.

Listen deeply.
Listen deeply.

This is the way of service and respect.

Listen deeply.
Listen deeply and you will be guided.

Listen deeply.
Listen deeply and seek to do the loving thing.

The loving thing is what serves the need of the spirt.

The only way you will know what serves the deepest need of the individual is to listen deeply.

Many do not know what they truly need and so you can not always please the personality of those with whom you interact.

Listen deeply.
Listen deeply.

Do not seek to please the personality.
Seek to please the spirit.

Listen deeply.
Listen deeply and you will know what to do.

Listen deeply and you will know what to do.

Be patient and allow knowing to unfold.

Express.
Communicate and allow the situation to unfold.

Listen deeply and you will know what to do.
Listen deeply and you will know what to do.
Listen deeply and you will know what to do.

True Love is the Giving of Freedom

True love is the giving of freedom and
so I give you freedom.

You are free to be you.
You are free to follow your deepest impulses, even if they lead you away from me.

True love is freedom.

And I want my freedom too.
I want freedom to be me.

I don’t want to be your unpaid counselor.
I don’t want to be pulled at to hold up your ship.

I have my own ship to sail.
And so true love is freedom.

I give you freedom and
I give myself freedom too.

I give myself freedom to put energy into my own world.
I give myself freedom to be me.

I give myself freedom to listen deeply and respond to my deepest impulses.
I give myself freedom to let go of feelings of obligation and allow my spirit to move me.

I don’t live to please you.
I live to please my own inner spirit which is always leading me to where I most need to be.

At the deepest level there is consensus.
It is not your needs versus my needs.

At the deepest level there is only what best serves the oneness.

When you are in a deep place in you and I am in a deep place in me,
There is consensus about what is best for the whole.

And so I give you freedom to listen deeply within and
I give myself that same freedom.

You are free and
I am free.

You are free and
I am free.

True love is giving freedom.
And so I set us both free.

I am free and you are free.
I am free and you are free.

I am free and you are free.
I am free and you are free.

Free to be yourself even if it takes you away from me.
A plate of freedom and love all around.

I am free and you are free.
I am free and you are free.