The mystery and meaning of life was unceremoniously revealed to me one Saturday afternoon in the fall of 1999. What began as an ordinary weekend of classes at the Institute of Healing Arts and Sciences, ended up being extraordinary. The powerful discovery has had a profound impact on my life and in turn, the lives of others. This post is Part 2 (of 2).

Part 1 – A pre-travel briefing.

Let the journey begin . . .

In my shamanic journey to “Lower World,” I stepped out of the tunnel and saw reddish-brown earth, tall trees, and very few animals.  In fact, it took a few minutes before I came across an animal (don’t even remember the type) that said no, he was not my power animal.  There was however, this little bee that suddenly appeared three times during the adventure and then continued to follow me.  Much to my surprise, the bee said, “YES” when asked if it was my power animal.

Upon returning from the journey most of my classmates were eager to share their experience. In the session follow-up, several classmates described elaborate adventures with their bear, dolphin, and eagle power animals.  Initially, I felt out of place. My tiny “bee” didn’t hold a candle to the large animals.  And yet, when Richard inquired about my power animal and the gift, amazingly – everything clicked-in.  I recalled the bee saying, “Just Bee” as the gift. Hmmm, interesting . . . nothing other than the bee.  A nano-second later, I realized the bee had given me the timeless gift of just “be.” Now it made perfect sense – the mystery was revealed.

Just be . . . here, in the now – fully present! (Be present, it’s the gift you give to others! When you’re fully present with someone they know it and feel acknowledged.)

Just be . . . in the moment.  (This practice allows access to opportunities that would have gone unnoticed if you were thinking about a “past” or “future” event!)

Just be . . . yourself. (Be who you are fully – without pretense.)

Shamanic cultures believe that when we are born, the spirit of at least one animal volunteers itself to protect and guide us throughout our life. I’m most grateful for the journey to “Lower World” and delighted the bee revealed itself to me.

I believe miracles happen everyday and the human spirit is unstoppable. It’s an honor to have the bee as my guide, the symbol of accomplishing the impossible. (Aerodynamically, the bee’s body is too large for its wings and should not be able to fly. )

I also believe that everything is interconnected and the meaning and purpose behind what appear to be random, everyday events are, in fact, signposts that guide and direct us to experience life fully!

Remember to just be . . . slow down, smell the flowers and taste the sweet nectar of life.

In what ways have you discovered the meaning of life?

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MaryAnn D’Ambrosio’s passion is to work with individuals and groups who are ready to “leap” and experience a vibrant, dynamic on-purpose life.  MaryAnn helps corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals connect with the powerful energy of G-Force: Grace and Gratitude, the rocket fuel for success! If you’ve been merely surviving instead of thriving be sure to pick-up your F*R*E*E Overcome Overwhelm Toolkit at:  LeapWithoutLimits.com

The mystery and meaning of life was unceremoniously revealed to me one Saturday afternoon in the fall of 1999.  What began as an ordinary weekend of classes at the Institute of Healing Arts and Sciences, ended up being extraordinary. The powerful discovery has had a profound impact on my life and in turn, the lives of others. This post is Part 1 (of 2).

The founder of the Institute informed us of a Saturday schedule change – she added a special session to enhance and expand our growth. We learned that Richard, a third year student skilled at shamanic work, had been selected to take us (first year students) on a shamanic journey.  This was all new to me and I wasn’t sure I wanted to travel on this shamanic journey to the “invisible worlds” beyond ordinary reality.  Sure, I had meditated before, but this journey was to “Lower World” to meet and receive a gift from our “power animal.” My classmates were totally excited.  To be honest, I was intrigued about meeting my power animal, and began to wonder about the gift. Who doesn’t like gifts, right?

Yet, the thought of going to “Lower World” was unappealing to me. Maybe it was my Catholic upbringing or perhaps my logical linear mind that was holding me back.  I felt apprehensive about moving forward with this journey, until I heard a familiar inner voice whisper, “You’ll be fine.  Trust the process and your inner guidance.”

Richard, explained “Lower World” as earthly – filled with mountains, desserts, dense jungles, and forests. To get there you go through an opening that appears in the ground (sort of like Alice in Wonderland) that takes you through a “magical tunnel” to Lower World.  Eventually you come out of the tunnel and into a lighted area where your surroundings become clear.  Richard said he would beat a drum during the journey and stated that when we saw an animal, we could ask it if it was our power animal and if the animal said “yes” remember to ask for the gift.

Join me . . .the  journey  continues in part 2 .

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MaryAnn D’Ambrosio’s passion is to work with individuals and groups who are ready to “leap” and experience a vibrant, dynamic on-purpose life.  MaryAnn helps corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals connect with the powerful energy of G-Force: Grace and Gratitude, the rocket fuel for success! If you’ve been merely surviving instead of thriving be sure to pick-up your F*R*E*E Overcome Overwhelm Toolkit at:  LeapWithoutLimits.com