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Welcome Lovely One…

Posted by on Feb 14, 2012 in A-Musing, Slider | 2 comments

Wanna know what I think the hottest ticket in town is?

What the most potent way to reach spiritual heights is?

What the most desirable quality is in a person?

The ability to speak and be TRUTH

Truth as I see it is…

 

 

Transcendent

Real

Universal

Transformative

Hot! … seriously, truth is purr-kitty sexy!

I’m putting together a little something on this… I’d love to share it with you.

Just sign up for it over on the top right hand side and I’ll get it to you  as soon it is ready.

 

 

Valentine’s Day, Divorce and Truth

Posted by on Feb 14, 2012 in A-Musing, Divorce, Slider, Spiritual, Thank You for Leaving Me | 12 comments

Valentine’s Day – A Day of Endings and Beginnings

5 years ago – exactly on Valentines Day – my marriage came to an abrupt end.

It was the day that I knew what I had already known but pretended I didn’t. But now, there was no more pretending.

But was it really abrupt?

The slow unraveling started some 7 years prior and it felt like there was a jello-like wall between us that was gaining in thickness with each passing year.

Each year, each self-development course, each new ‘aha’ seemed to make the divide more apparent. At times, the jello changed flavor and the change seemed hopeful, but the wall never diminished.

I would often cry in deep regret for the lonely life that I had created. I was absent of joy. I wanted out but, where was out?

I had 3 small children and unable to see choices, I submitted to a lonely life of duty bound activities and did what I thought a ‘good wife’ would do and what a ‘good mother’ would do while wearing a mask of cheerfulness. I was a fake.

I had gotten so used to wearing a plastacine smile it felt normal. It was safe.

Was it though?

How does one give away their spirit, their voice, their joy, their truth and feel that is safe?

Worse, I was giving it away under the guise of nobility… ‘Oooo, what a good mom I am…what a good wife I am’.

Ick.

There is no such thing as safe in the lie.

My marriage ending was a calibration to truth.

You wanna know how I know?

The moment he told me that it was over… I felt relief.

Yes, relief.

And what I know for sure is that the truth makes you feel lighter and the lie makes you feel heavier. The lightness that accompanied the feeling of relief was telling me something huge.

But, instead of being an astute listener, and believing right away that this was a good thing, I paid my dues to fear, anger, shame, pain, and took the long, yet cathartic way around to gratitude and peace.

I remember the day AFTER our marriage ended, I had my first long awaited appointment with Anjali Hill for marriage counselling.

After listening to my pain and contraction from shock of my marriage dissolving the day before, she simply said “there may be more truth to you being apart than being together”

If she had said other things, I could not hear them… I could only hear that comment. I knew that it was profound and that someday it would help me understand freedom more deeply.

I understand now that in the parting, there were no victims and there were no villains. It was simply the truth. We were complete.

And once an experience is allowed to have it’s full cycle of being – including it’s completion – and we accept it for it’s gifts (both known and unknown), we enter into a place of personal power, resilience and radiance that is also known as true freedom.

Have you ever had a completion that stung at the time but you now know that it was the best thing for you? How did you arrive to the ‘other side’ of the equation?

Loving you immensely,

Farhana

 

Conversations with God… and Neale.

Posted by on Jan 5, 2012 in A-Musing, Divorce, Slider, Spiritual | 8 comments

This past week I observed and understood deeper what humility is.

And it was delivered in the best way – humility through humor. You’d think I was at a comedy show but I was at Neale Donald Walsch’s Holiday Retreat.

Don’t fret if you don’t know who Neale Donald Walsch is… it’s a common affliction.

 

What is more important is that you know the work: Conversations with God.

A few years ago when my marriage came to an abrupt end, I was able to stand in the crumbling of everything around me because I knew who I was.

I was able to be in the debris and claim bold visions about becoming the grandest expression of myself that I had ever known.

I could do that because the year before I had read the Conversations with God trilogy and nothing was the same for me after that.

Thank goodness.

People everywhere revere this work as that of the messiah. With over 15 million books sold and the amount of hands that each book would pass as people share these treasures makes the reach truly incalculable.

One fellow asked me if I thought Neale was a prophet equal to that of Jesus or Mohammed. He certainly has more followers than any of those did during their time he commented.

Hmm… interesting…

What I know is this…

If Neale heard that, he would cringe.

He would want us to heed the message, not the messenger.

I observed the tendency of people (including my own) who want to put him on a pedestal and I observed his artful climb down over and over again.

Neale’s quick wit ensured levity and relaxation… not only in our relationship to him, but in our relationship to the material and most importantly, in our individual relationship with the God of our own understanding.

In refusing to take the pedestal, he does what true spiritual masters do; they remind us of our own divine nature and help unlock our mastery. All the while reminding us that:

You are perfect. No more or less than the next person.
You are deserving. No more or less than the next person.
You are worthy. No more or less than the next person.

These basic truths are sometimes hard for us to really believe.

Remember that TV show from years ago called Touched by an Angel? I remember hearing that it was the most popular show in prison. When it aired you could hear a pin drop from the inmates silence.

I remember wondering why and then I realized, that show offered redemption. In every episode the truth was revealed.

God loves you. As you are.

Guess what one of the most popular books in prison is? Yep, you guessed it, Conversations with God.

It too offers the truth: God loves you. As you are.

And if offers something else:

There is nothing to forgive.
Nothing ‘wrong’ has ever been done.

Woah!

I know it’s a biggie to take in but play along will ya?

Imagine for a moment that there are no victims and there are no villains.

What happens when you do that?

Suddenly everything opens up doesn’t it? And in that space, everything becomes available for interpretation that can only fall into one category… an act of love.

Are you game for a new way of being with your history?

Read Conversations with God. And if you have read it, read it again.

Oh yes, let me tell you more about the whole prison thing…

My heart expanded when I heard that CWG Foundation was offering the Conversations with God cosmology of books, study groups and support systems in a prison outreach program.

This ‘by donation’ program buys the books for pennies at second hand stores and on Amazon, sends them to the inmates and even sends them letters so lovingly written by the Prison Outreach Coordinator, Janine Cantin.

Imagine experiencing a life without bars. Too many of us, incarcerated or not are in a prison of our making. Freedom inside is possible. It’s possible once we remember the true nature of who we already are. Free. All Love and Only Love.

If you haven’t already devoured the Conversations with God series, give that gift to yourself.

If you have already read the series, and feel moved to supporting the Foundations efforts – donate here…either with a cash donation, buying some second hand books on Amazon and sending it to them or you can send your own CWG books here – click right here.



If you wanna chat about the impacts and insights that Conversations with God has given you, there are study groups in your area. Or… lead one.  Click here for study group information.

Leave me your comments and I’ll write back.

Kisskiss,

Farhana

I Am FIERCE

Posted by on Nov 2, 2011 in A-Musing, Divorce, Gifts, Parenting, Slider, Spiritual, Videos | 5 comments

I logged into my infrequently used Twitter account one day and found a flurry of messages congratulating me on my nomination.

Nomination for what???

Apparently I had been nominated for a FIERCE Woman Award.

I was caught off guard by the nomination…and I was touched that the nomination was in the category most meaningful for me: FIERCE Woman -Mom Extraordinaire.

A warm feeling gushed over me and I was surprised by the amount of joy I felt with the nomination. My self worth is not based on accolades and I encourage others to release the need for external gratification but, I was aware that this particular nomination was hitting a sweet spot for me.

As a single mom of 3 kids and entrepreneur, I am well aware of my deficiencies – the guilt over working 15 hr days, the grouchy mama moments, the algebra homework that stumps me, the store bought frozen dinners, the melt bead projects that lay abandoned waiting for me to iron them into lovely art…. And the list goes on…and on.

But when I received the surprise nomination, a feeling of “I’m doing a good job – even with my volumes of deficiencies” made my tense shoulders exhale a sigh of relief.

It got me thinking about the many moms, doing the best they can, still riddled with guilt over their own perceived shortcomings. I wonder what the impact would be on our joy factor if we were to completely forgive ourselves for our errors and know that our best at the time is exactly what our children need. How much more present and engaged we would be without the lingering scent of guilt.

I know the hamster wheel of guilt keeps me small. It makes me feel defeated rather than empowered. It makes me feel the forces are against me rather than it’s all working in divine order. I liken it to the Oreo cookie syndrome. Eat a cookie, feel okay. Eat another, feel guilty. Then in that guilt, I collapse all my boundaries in defeat, the box vanishes and appears somewhere on my hips.

So what if we had a rough moment in parenting? So what if the laundry is undone and the place looks like a cyclone hit it? Seriously – so what?

Parenting is not sainthood. In fact, it is likely the experience that would teach us how far away we are from sainthood. Parenting is about absolutely making mistakes and it is absolutely about teaching our children who they can be when they have made mistakes. Parenting is constant practice in self-forgiveness and in that, we teach our children the same.

What if in this moment you were to forgive yourself for the less than sainthood moments, who would that enable you to be?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

PS – About the FIERCE WOMAN Awards function itself, Tamara Plant of Mom Magazine is the brain goddess behind FIERCE. She has the spiciest blog around – give it a read http://mommagazine.blogspot.com/

FIERCE stands for:

Females Inspiring Each other in a Real Community of Empowerment

Celebrations and laughter was high – and deservedly so … Each woman there had something to be celebrated for. Some women have taken their mess, their deep pain, and transmuted it to their message into an offering of love, gifts and healing. Some displayed their entrepreneurial courage by doing what few people dare do: Follow their dreams. And some were there to simply honor the women in their lives leaving their own lists of accomplishments go unnoticed so to place all shine on another.

If I was told I had to sit in my chair and not move until 4am and listen to every woman’s story, I would have done that willingly. I was humbled and honored to be amongst such stellar women.

May you all be blessed with FIERCE women in your blessed life.

And, if you’re interested, here is my video made for the selection team’s viewing pleasure

PPS – Lee Horbachewski was a show stealer when awarded the Nominees Choice for FIERCE Women and brought the crowd to their feet with a double standing ovation and empassioned plea for the de-stigmatization of mental illness. Find out how she has created a national movement and join in at Going Blue 4 U

 

 

Awesome Thread on the Soul Filled Cafe

Posted by on Sep 25, 2011 in A-Musing, Awesome Interviews, Divorce, Slider, Spiritual, Thank You for Leaving Me | 0 comments

I was asked to be the guest blogger on Heather Gray’s Soul Filled Cafe and – W-O-W!

The article I wrote sparked a juicy discussion that I want you to be part of… and there were some presents offered too that you can have.

Just cuz I love you.

Click on the red link below

Soul Filled Cafe with Farhana Dhalla

 

 

 

Is News Really Worthy? | FinerMinds

Posted by on Sep 23, 2011 in A-Musing, Media, Slider, Spiritual | 3 comments

 

I wrote this article for FinerMinds and it seems to have struck a chord with the readers.

Do you watch the news? Does it empower you or do you feel a knot of hopelessness?

 

Click the red link below

Is News Really Worthy? | FinerMinds.

 

 

The Story of SPLAT!!

Posted by on Sep 18, 2011 in A-Musing, Slider | 0 comments

A fellow comes to a fork in the road and sees a Guru. He asks the Guru to tell him the way to success.

The Guru points down one road. He thanks the Guru and skips off merrily down the road.

And then… SPLAT!

The man comes back limping and visibly shaken up.

He asks the Guru again to tell him the road to success.

The Guru points down the same road.

With trepidation the man limps down that road.

And then… SPLAT!

He drags himself back with bruises and a bleeding lip

He says to the Guru “Guruji, tell me the road to success and this time please talk”

The Guru points down the same road and replies “Just past the SPLAT”

Click here to read Success is Inevitable – my personal experience with SPLAT.

 

 

Success is Inevitable

Posted by on Jun 21, 2011 in A-Musing, Slider | 0 comments

6 months ago I was in the middle of packing and moving my three children and I to another province. The move was understandably met with a mixed bag of emotions for all of us.

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