Category Archives: imagination

Is There Room in Your Closet?

Does your closet sometimes get so full that you have trouble locating what you would like to wear? This happens to me more often than I care to admit. An overflowing closet might be exciting if everything in it were something I actually wanted to wear. But no, many of the items just take up space making it difficult to find what I am looking for.

A closet is not unlike the human mind. Like a mind, it stores necessary things as well as those that are no longer useful. Even when not conscious of the items held there, they sit, waiting, taking up space. And like a closet, the mind is unlikely to relinquish the things it holds unless there is a conscious the choice to let them go. We often hold thoughts and ideas about ourselves, about others, and about the world that are no longer useful, that in fact, cause so much crowding in our consciousness that little space remains for the creative thoughts that would cause us to thrive.

Think about that old tattered shirt in your closet. It’s there every time you open the door. You know the one; the one you push out of the way over and over again trying to find something more appealing. You know you would rather wash an entire load of clothes than wear it, yet there it hangs, taking up space, mocking your inability to surrender it to the giveaway bag. What thought, idea, or belief is lingering in your consciousness taking up space like that tattered old shirt? What belief about yourself is filling your consciousness day and night leaving little room for the peace and joy you seek?

If you are seeking joy, but holding thoughts of anger, fear, guilt, remorse, or regret, there is little room for joy to seep in. There is of course nothing wrong with having these thoughts or feelings. They are a part of our human experience and often helpful in defining ourselves. But holding onto them until they become a tattered memory squeezing out the joy we seek is counterproductive to a life that thrives. You are intended to thrive. You are intended to experience joy. You were meant to “be fruitful and multiply.”

Whatever that thought is, you really don’t need it anymore. You know you don’t. Take it out of there right now. Take a good look at it and realize it does not define you. It is not who and what you are. It is just some fleeting idea that crossed your mind one day and decided to settle there. Let it go. Drop it in the giveaway bin or set it on the porch and call the universe to come and pick it up. You haven’t needed it in years.

And now quickly, before it wanders back in there, replace it with something else – perhaps its absolute opposite. It might feel strange at first, but over time the new thought will become a comfortable part of your attire.

© 2019. Eileen Patra

If I Were A Road

tunnel-1056859-640x480If I were a road I would plunge through the surface, into the depths of this life. I’d journey upward and outward, to the vast space beyond. I would travel the stars and the universe, and spiral with planets as far as can be. Along the way I would travel through time and wind myself back like a grandfather clock. I would cherish the memories unfolding before me. The earliest memories of humankind would flash by like the blur of a landscape moving swiftly past the side window of a traveling car.

Flying through time I would catch glimpses of people, vibrant and real making up pages of earth’s history. I would slow down and pause as I rambled where Jesus had walked. I’d hang up a stoplight where Gandhi had been. I’d rest for a while and encounter Mohamed. We would gaze at the stars and see God and Allah and Brahman in them.

If I were a road I would traverse the layers of existence and discover where time began. I would pause in my travels to catch the first Light as it expanded and vibrated and became the waters and dry land. I would curve and I’d spiral following along, with the unfolding nature of humankind Then I would find myself in my own childhood yard. I’d watch myself on my swing set, the dog nipping my butt as I flew through the air. I would travel around to the place called Virginia where my brother boarded a navy ship. I’d visit him in his youth, so vibrant, so excited as he sailed off to see the world. I’d stop in Onaway at my father’s childhood home. I’d catch glimpses of what it was like to grow up in that home, bursting with children the adults speaking French. I’d hear the laughter of little ones running about. I’d see the sweat on the older one’s brows as they worked outside in the fields.

If I were a road, I’d wander about, finding pieces and glimpses of how I began. I’d discover my birth was not here on this earth. I’d find that I’d started before I began. I’d pause at the moment the first thought was expressed. I’d let go of all else as I mapped out my path. I’d see what has been went just like I planned, the valleys and vistas all there in my hand. I’d discover my journey continues, yet never began. It spirals and curves and floats up and down. It moves without moving then settles again. I’d gaze with great wonder at its natural bends. I’d pause for a while then roam quietly forward again. If I were a road, I’d begin and then end at the place where all thought first began.

© 20107. Rev. Eileen Patra

Paint A Miracle Today

paint-ccPAINT is a magical, miraculous substance capable of changing the color of an object.  A vast variety of pigments and tints can be added to this liquid substance to create a coating of the desired color and hue. Easily changed or even removed in its liquid state, PAINT becomes fixed when it dries.  Metaphysically, PAINT represents the thoughts and energy we project into our world and our experiences.  We can PAINT our thoughts or experiences in the color or hue of our choosing.  We can choose a color that vibrates with joy and harmony. Or, we can choose a color that constricts or vibrates with fear or anger.  Thoughts and energies held for long periods of time become fixed and require one or more coats of a new color, or new thoughts.  If I have been holding thoughts of fear or anger for a long period of time, it may require numerous affirmative thoughts to change the picture I have allowed to become fixed in my mind. Today, I paint a miracle. I paint the world with shades of Love, Healing, Acceptance, Forgiveness, Faith and Joy and they become fixed in my mind and in my life.

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

Rev. Eileen is an ordained Unity minister currently serving at Unity of Livonia in Livonia, Michigan.  

A Wondrous Moon In You?

moon-nasa

The MOON, whether full or simply a sliver in the sky, floats silently in its rhythmic path around the earth providing light in the night sky, a scene of beauty for lovers and artists and a sense of wonder for all who would pause and take in its majestic presence.  Light on one side, dark and cold on the other, it provides for us what it cannot provide for itself; a sense of warmth and comfort.  Just one of trillions of lights in the night sky, the MOON is a special miracle as it is a part of the Earthscape, the subject of human poetry and a constant reminder of the cycles of time.  Its regular 28-day cycle is predictable, its gravitational pull powerful. Capable of creating tidal waves and capable of being the centerpiece of a peaceful, pastoral scene, the MOON is a miracle that warms the heart and lights the sky.  What in you is like the MOON?

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra.  Rev. Eileen is an ordained Unity minister currently serving at Unity of Livonia in Livonia, Michigan.  

In the Blink of the Eyes

cc-eyelidsEYELIDS are miraculous to me in this moment.  By purposefully closing them I shut out the world and open an inner sanctuary where nothing can disturb my peace.  EYELIDS function without my thinking about them throughout the day. Such a simple yet complex party of my anatomy. They protect my physical eyes from dust, sun and other irritants.  They keep my eyes moist and restful.  But those are small gifts compared to the opening they create in me when they are closed.  What a brilliantly creative element to the human form.  I am grateful for my EYELIDS and now I close them and enter the secret place of the Most High and I am blessed.

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

Rev. Eileen is an ordained Unity minister currently serving at Unity of Livonia in Livonia, Michigan

The Telephone: Miracle or Vessel?

Behold the Plain Old Telephone

TELEPHONES, so much a part of our everyday lives. we may forget what a miracle they have provided in our culture.  The wired phone of the past was a magical discovery.  Vibrations from the human voice transmitted over great distances through a massive network of wires connected people in way that was previously thought impossible.  Today our phones are wireless.  They carry more information in their tiny sim cards than the computers aboard the Apollo spacecrafts.  They connect us, perhaps at times more than we would like.  The marvel of telecommunication remains not a mystery, but a manifestation of the human capacity for expanded thinking.  TELEPHONES indeed provide a channel for communication across great distances.  But in all their forms, TELEPHONES are simply the objects that we designate as vessels for our power to connect and receive messages.   Messages may be received through dreams, intuition, or even an audible voice from somewhere deep within.  One who has mastered clairaudience may receive messages from sources in seemingly faraway places much like the use of a telephone. Some messages may even appear in a dream as a ringing telephone with a familiar voice on the other end.  TELEPHONES are the miraculous manifestation of the human capacity to reach beyond the appearances of limitation and connect across seemingly great distances.

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

Clairvoyance

cc-clairvoyanceCLAIRVOYANCE, the ability to see beyond what is currently visible to the human eye is the miracle of Spiritual Vision or seeing with the Mind’s eye.  This is not an ability conferred upon the few, but an ability inherent in all.  If I invite you to think about a blue butterfly, an image comes to mind of a blue butterfly.  It may not be a picture-perfect image, but you know what you are seeing in your mind’s eye. The “Clairvoyant” has simply learned to utilize this invisible sense to a higher degree.  Seeing the invisible, that which has not yet occurred or that which occurred millennia ago only requires that we transcend what the physical eyes behold.  Time, is an illusion, relative to our current position in the universe. In Spirit, all things occur simultaneously so seeing what has not yet occurred is simply looking beyond what the physical eyes, bound by time and space are beholding.  With practice, we can increase the ability to SEE beyond the physical, to SEE beyond the appearance of limitation and separation.  We do not alter the future in doing so. Instead, we alter our own consciousness which in turn changes what we bring forth next.  CLAIRVOYANCE, is the miracle of Spiritual Sight inherent in all.  It is intended to be utilized, not “… hidden under a basket.”

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

Rev. Eileen is an ordained Unity minister currently serving at Unity of Livonia in Livonia, Michigan.   

A Miracle A Day, Day 89

future.cc.9683205509_f23e35ca06_mThe FUTURE I hold in my mind is a miracle. Through the ability to experience sequence, I can perceive what is yet to be.  Through the power of Imagination, I can direct my thoughts and creative energies toward a FUTURE I find desirable.  The image I hold is one in which all beings are awakened to their Divinity; all beings are awakened to their self-worth.  Awakened in this way, I see all beings beholding the sacredness of one another.  In this FUTURE no one is left out.  No one is excluded, and no one would even consider harming another.  Each person thrives in an occupation that feeds them as much spiritually and emotionally as it does physically and financially.  Everyone listens, everyone speaks with love and kindness.  Everyone honors and respects the ideas, views and needs of one another. In this FUTURE, compassion and understanding are the foundation of all activity.  This is a FUTURE that is a miracle, and the even greater miracle is that it is achievable.  With God, with the power and gifts already bestowed upon us as the image and likeness of God, ALL things are possible.

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

Rev. Eileen is an ordained Unity minister currently serving at Unity of Livonia in Livonia, Michigan.  To view the entire Miracle A Day series, visit her Facebook page