I am filled with devotion.
I am filled with devotion.

I am devoted to listening deeply.
I am devoted to offering my full contribution.
I am devoted to service.
I am devoted to spirit.

I am devoted to listening to the whispers of spirit within me.
I am devoted to listening to the whispers of spirit all around me.

I am devoted to listening deeply to myself.
I am devoted to listening deeply to others.

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

There are not my needs and your needs.
There is simply what best serves the oneness of which we are all a part.

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

Compromise is you get a little of what you need, I get a little of what I need.

Consensus is a deep listening to what most serves the oneness.
Consensus is a deep listening at the spirit level.

Again, if you are in a deep place in you and I am in a deep place in me there will be agreement about what is best for the whole.

This consensus can only be reached through deep listening, and through deep looking and is a skill that can be cultivated.

Begin today by filling yourself with a feeling of devotion.

Affirm frequently:

I am filled with devotion.
I am devoted to deep listening.
I am devoted to deep looking.
I am devoted to serving the oneness.
I am devoted to offering my full contribution.
I am filled with devotion.

I am filled with devotion.
I am devoted to listening deeply to myself.
I am devoted to listening deeply to others.
I am devoted to listening deeply to the whispers of spirit that are within me and all around me.
I am filled with devotion.

I am filled with devotion.
I am filled with devotion.
I am filled with devotion.

Listen deeply today and allow your devotion to guide you in right action.

Listen deeply today and consider what is best for the whole.

You are included in that whole.
Begin by listening deeply within and honoring the self.

Seek to serve the oneness in all that you think, say and do.

Affirm frequently:

I am filled with devotion.
I am filled with devotion.
I am filled with devotion.

See what shows up differently in your life when you show up differently.

It is said nothing changes until you change.

For today immerse yourself in the feeling of devotion and be aware of what shows up differently when you show up differently.

Approach your work from a feeling of devotion to serving the oneness.

Approach your relationships from a place of devotion. (Devotion to listening deeply to yourself and to others.)

Approach each part of your life with a feeling of devotion.

Allow this to be your grand experiment with life.

I am filled with devotion.
I am filled with devotion.
I am filled with devotion.

~Hayley Mermelstein

I was sitting in the orthopedics waiting room. I had just been told by a doctor that I needed surgery on my right wrist (my dominant hand) and had been sent to this office for a second opinion.

It had been an icy week in February and the orthopedic office has 150 appointments that day. The waiting room was packed with injured adults. I looked out into a sea of arm slings and leg casts and neck braces and crutches.

I sat in silence and only had two words echoing in my head:

Humility and compassion.
Humility and compassion.
Humility and compassion.

I felt so humbled, as I have felt many times in my life. One minute you are straightening up and taking out the trash, getting ready to go to work. And then two hours later you are here, sitting in a waiting room, in this alternate reality.

I felt so flooded with waves and waves of humility that it almost felt worth the price of admission. Almost.

How have you let yourself become arrogant, again? I asked myself.
It requires so much humility to walk this earth. I reminded myself.

Humility and compassion.
Humility and compassion.
Humility and compassion.

I went to a psychic healer one time. I was sitting in front of him and he looked me in the eyes and said you used to be arrogant but now you are humble. Do you understand?

Yes, yes I do.. I said to him.
And then there was a long pause as neither one of spoke.

Humility and compassion.
Humility and compassion.
Humility and compassion.

And then there was the compassion. I sat in the waiting room, looking out into the sea of people with worried looks on their faces and I felt flooded with compassion for this human condition of which we are all a part. We were all in this together and no one is exempt. I reminded myself.

Waves and waves of compassion flooded my body. It was so profound that it was almost worth the price of admission. Almost.

And now I try to remind myself of these feelings every day.

Humility and compassion.
Humility and compassion.
Humility and compassion.

After waiting for over 90 minutes for my appointment, I finally had my turn with the doctor.

You don’t need surgery he said.
And you will be fine, he said .
You will be back to work in no time.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Humility and compassion.
Humility and compassion.
Humility and compassion.

It turns out he was right.

May the force be with all of us and may we stay humble and compassionate. It’s not an easy journey for anyone but it is filled with growth and learning. The earth really is a school. And we are the humble students and sometimes the humble teacher too.

Have a good Sunday.

~Hayley Mermelstein

I accept what is.
I accept what is.

Go deeper now into acceptance.
Deeper and deeper.

I accept what is.
I accept what is.

How deeply can you go?

Gently let go of your resistance to what is.
Let this be your grand experiment with life.

I accept what is.
I accept what is.

I welcome what is.
I welcome what is.

I allow what is.
I allow what is.

Going deeper and deeper into acceptance now.

I accept what is.
I accept what is.
I accept what is.

Take a moment now and go deeply into acceptance. How deeply can you go? As you accept what is, knowing about how to best be with what is will naturally arise. For now, focus on acceptance. How deeply can you accept?

When you are in acceptance you naturally surrender your resistance to what is. When you are not resisting what is there will be a natural knowing about how to best handle what is.

For now simply focus on acceptance. See how deeply you can accept. Sometimes you are learning to say yes, and sometimes you are learning to say no. Sometimes you are learning to walk away and sometimes you are learning to lean in and persevere, When you are in acceptance a natural knowing about how to be with what is will arise in its own time.

Acceptance stills the choppy waters within. As the waters settle, wisdom and knowing naturally arise.

For today, see how deeply you can simply be with what is. How deeply can you accept? How deeply can you welcome what is as if you personally invited it to the table? The universe is always talking to us. In deep acceptance you can hear the still small voice within that is always guiding us.

For today affirm:

I accept what is.
I accept what is.

I deeply accept what is.
I deeply accept what is.

I welcome what is.
I welcome what is.

I welcome what is as if I had personally invited it to the table.

I accept what is.
I accept what is.

I let go of my resistance.

I accept what is.
I accept what is.
I accept what is.

When the time is right, I will be guided in right action.
When the time is right, knowing will arise.

For today I accept what is.
For today I sit with what is.

For today I sit with my pain.
For today I welcome what is to the table.

I accept what is.
I accept what is.

I accept what is.
I accept what is.

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~

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.
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 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!

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.

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 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.

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