The Gift Of A Hundred Dragonflies

The Gift Of A Hundred Dragonflies
Helaine Iris
©2002

“You have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do except the limitations of your own mind.”
Darwin P. Kingsley

I woke up for the third morning in a row with my mind racing at lightening speed. I was obsessively evaluating everything that was not working in my life. My mind was out of control. If I could just generate more income… if my teenage daughter would come out of her bedroom and finally do something… If my husband would free up some quality time for me... On and on my mind flew relentlessly reviewing one problem after another sinking me into a darker and darker mood.

I knew I needed to change the energy. I was drowning in it. Leaving my house for a power walk I headed for a nearby pond in the woods. I gravitate to this pond when I am in need of reflection or wanting to find my center after a particularly stressful time.

I climbed out onto my favorite rock that juts over the water and catches the first rays of the summer sun. I settled myself and began to breathe in the tranquility of the natural setting. Suddenly I noticed hundreds of dragonflies flying over the pond, all around my rock and in and amongst the trees. What a breath taking sight. The iridescent color of their beating wings flitting all around me captivated my attention.

I remembered what I learned about dragonflies from Jamie Sams the author of the “Medicine Cards”. The idea of “medicine animals” carries the suggestion that animals provide a “teaching” offered as a gift for people. Sams writes,” Dragonfly medicine is of the dreamtime and the illusionary facade we accept as reality”. She suggests, ”On the psychological level, it may help to breakdown the illusions you have that restrict your actions or ideas”.

These amazing creatures had offered me a powerful gift of awareness. I realized that the “illusions” I was filling my mind with were the source of my stress and internal pain.

I headed back home with excitement and a resolve to take a fresh look at what was bothering me. I began to reexamine the “problems” I was convinced I was having. I thought about what the facts were versus my feelings about the facts.

For example: My 16 year old daughter, in between groups of friends and unable to find a job has been holed up in her room all summer not doing anything. Or so it seemed to me. One day she came out of her room and showed me sketchbooks filled with drawings and portraits she’d been creating as well as other projects she’d been working on.

I realized my daughter wasn’t wasting her summer at all. I was caught in the illusion she was. I began to look at what else I thought wasn’t working in my life. I found my thoughts about my income and my husband were also filled with illusions that were troubling me. I was able to shift my thoughts to the facts, what was real and true, and immediately felt more peaceful, accepting and clear about how much WAS working in my life.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to see if you are caught in an illusion:

· Do you find yourself lost in the stories you tell yourself and believe them without stopping to inquire if they are even true?

· Are you are so focused on your feelings you don’t stop to consider the “facts”?

· Do you resist making changes because you’re afraid of what might happen?

For me the teaching is clear. If I’m spending time and energy focusing on what isn’t working in my life I am probably caught in an illusion. If I am feeling fear and limitation I have lost sight of what is real. I invite you to consider making a shift in your life from a stand of illusion to a stand of inquiry.

Here are some helpful tips to assist you in the shift:

· Ask yourself if things are really the way they seem? Be willing to be curious and see a new way.

· Ask yourself what illusions you are creating that are restricting your inner peace and ability to act? Be willing to be honest with yourself.

· Focus on what IS working in your life versus what isn’t. This shift sends a clear message that will ripple through your whole experience.

· Consider living from a place of acceptance of what is. The more we resist reality the more we suffer.

As you begin to bring awareness to the illusions that are limiting your peace and happiness you discover your amazing power of creation. Consider YOU created the stressful illusions in the first place then reflect on the possibility of creating positive illusions for what you want in your life instead.

Let yourself be surrounded by dragonflies. Be in awe of the magical, illusive colors of their wings and the essence of their wisdom. Invite them to guide you through the haze of illusion to the clarity of a sunny morning.

It’s your life…imagine the possibilities!