This summer, I returned to Port Jefferson Harbor on Long Island, New York, which is not far from where I grew up. In the past, I’d walk to the pier and feel the water surround me on all sides. Today, the pier is a bar restaurant with a stage for live music. Rather than grab a seat and dine, I sojourned a bit to the left of my “historical site.” My family was fading as the weather was very hot, so I took a few pictures and we left Port Jeff. When I returned home, I viewed the image I had captured on that hot day. Something came over me when I rested my gaze on the water and the dock pilings. The outside world appeared holy and it permeated my inner world. The elements — water, earth (wood pilings), air (what is unseen, yet perceived as the sky), and fire (a metaphor for the hot temperature) — worked in tandem to reflect what is my inner sanctuary.
It is remarkable that in the past I saw only water and did not incorporate the other elements into my experience. Expanded awareness, I believe…
Is our external reality a reflection of our internal world? Do we create our external reality based on what we hold inside? I ponder how today I see this harbor so very differently than when I first saw it approximately 55 years ago.
Life brings many opportunities for change in perception. Self-reflection, guidance from others along the way, and the assistance of Divine Ones including consciousness constructs like the Four Elements offer us much in the way of shifting and growing as souls. Therapy, self-reflection, great conversations with friends, forgiveness work, reading about soul growth, praying, and being of Service have assisted my cleanup in Aisle 7. There was no inner sanctum for a long time. There was pain and suffering. The work done on cleaning up Joanie created an internal environment that I can now describe as an inner sanctuary. It’s taken tons of work. Tons. I haven’t stopped this “inside job,” either. Letting go of what does not belong – what isn’t for my highest good – has definitely created a better external world for me. The beauty, the peace, the balance, and the harmony coexist as a result of extricating much from within.
How can one create an inner sanctuary if it is a hoarder’s den or a burnt-out building? One finds the inner sanctum and sees it reflected outward by…going inward! Sit, stop, settle. Listen, lay low, learn. If one is aware there is detritus within, they are already ahead of the game. Without judging self, remain accepting of the present Now moment, and have gratitude. Forgive self and other. Dig deep and try new things. Optimism helps. As you release what does not serve you, your inner world brightens. Your life – your exterior reality – shifts and it brightens, too. Step by step, without pushing the river, you will see changes in you and in your life in general.
Port Jeff Harbor today – that image I captured and the feelings it evokes for me – is a testimony of the long road I have taken to change my life. I know my internal landscape is serene and balanced and the harbor also tells me so.
When you capture an image, ask yourself how it makes you feel. Then, ask yourself whether those feelings are residing within you. If they evoke beatitude, wonderful! If they are negative, pull out the mop and bucket for aisle cleanup. A friendly reminder that this is why you incarnated here…
I support you. Bless you for sojourning to this page for respite and more.
With Love,
~Joanie
