Standing at a New Door

"Tell me what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" - Mary Oliver

I love this quote! It speaks to me of limitless possibility, the sanctity of life, and the miracle of being able to re-create my journey in every moment.

As some of you may know, I left my office job at the end of November. There came a day when the thought of spending another minute within the confines of my work there was almost more than I could bear. And I made a choice that day. A choice to cast off what was no longer serving, and take a step into the unknown. A choice to move outside the box and follow my soul's calling.

So I gave my two week's notice without having any idea of what the next step on the journey might be. And I did it, not from a place of reaction, but rather from a place of a deep inner knowing that it was time to move completely into the work I believe I came to the planet to do...to fully embody being an ambassador of hope in a world where many, many people have forgotten the Truth of who they are at a soul level. They've forgotten that their life matters and that they have totally unique gifts to offer humanity. They've forgotten that we are all connected and that love is all there is.

I've spent the time between the end of November and now, getting clarity on how I can best serve the world in this capacity. How do I shine light into those places of darkness that sometimes seem almost impossible to move beyond? It's been a time of deep soul searching, stretching way beyond my comfort zone, and learning to listen to and follow my intuition. There have been tears, stand offs with my ego, conversations with myself that have my poor cat wondering if I've lost my mind! And in truth, I have lost my mind. It was a precursor for moving more into my heart. It's been a process not unlike labour, this giving birth to a dream. And I am grateful for the tremendous learning within the metamorphosis.

2015 finds me standing at a beautiful new door! I have accepted the invitation to fully enter my life. The dream is still being birthed and I'm doing my best to stay fully present in each moment of its unfolding. Stay tuned...there's a new website in process (www.ManifestingMiracles.ca) upcoming inspirational speaking engagements to announce, new upcoming workshops in the creation phase, and last but not least I'm offering soul coaching to help others remember their Truth. If you're interested in getting more details about any of these offerings, or if you'd like to be on the newsletter distribution list for future events, and free inspirational info, please send me a message on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn or Twitter (journey2Self).

Thank you for being on this journey with me. Each and every one of you make a difference in my life and I am grateful for you!

As you move into your new year, what's calling you? Will you open the door and step across the threshold into your wild and precious life? I'd love to hear about your dreams.

Much love,
Denise Cunningham

Photo Credit: Caitlin Mellor Photography

Finding Love in the Eyes of a Horse

There are times in my life when healing has been hard won; through years of counselling, personal growth work, and/or the school of hard knocks. And then there are, what my friend Pat calls, “God shots.” Those moments of healing that happen with such exquisite timing and perfection, that we could not possibly humanly orchestrate them. They are delivered to us as a gift.

I received such a gift through two horses; a majestic Freisian stallion named Nyk, and a wise Quarterhorse mare named Indy. My introduction to these spirit guides came about because I headed to a farm one sunny summer afternoon to support friends in the launch of their new business. They were using the human-horse connection to help people heal. My feelings about horses had swung between two polarities; awe and extreme fear. The awe was inspired by their size, their majesty, and their connection to Source. The fear was a lingering misperception from a childhood horse experience. I really didn’t know anything about horses but my soul had called me to be at the farm that day to help me see them through new eyes.

The miracle began at the round pen where they had just turned out Nyk. I stood leaning on the boards watching this magnificent creature run freely around the ring, with flowing mane and tail flying in the wind. Before I knew it the tears were streaming down my face. Time stood still as I was drawn into Nyk’s spell. He was unabashedly being all of who he was, throughout every fibre of his being. Nothing else existed for me in that moment but a heart and soul connection with a living breathing example of grace.

Then I volunteered for a session of equine guided healing because I hoped to find a way to overcome my fear of horses. I was asked to think of a question that I wanted the horses’ help in answering. My question was, “How do I learn to love myself more?” We went to the barn and visited with each horse. I was told that the horse that was meant to work with me would come forward. I was sceptical, to say the least. Imagine my surprise when I got to the third stall, and Indy came right up to me and put her nose on my nose. My teacher had chosen me.

Indy and I joined each other in the round pen. She was untethered, and I was told that I could do whatever I was called to do. There was no agenda. “What do you mean there are no instructions?” I thought. Panic started to set in. I was used to having a game plan; a list of things to do. Indy wandered around exploring and I allowed myself to move beyond my fear and walk beside her. I talked, she listened. I moved closer, she stood still. She moved, I moved with her. We became partners in an otherworldly dance, to music only she and I could hear. Time became irrelevant. When we were done we had ended up face to face. I was holding Indy’s face in my hands as we looked into each other’s eyes. My fear had vanished. The tears rolled down my face as she passed on her answer to my question…She told me, “You don’t have to do…just be.”