Stepp'n Into My Soul Slippers

Billows of life have been blowing in the window of my soul, stirring my dreams and beckoning me to follow my heart on a new venture. In order to keep my focus clear and my dreams alive I am choosing to stop posting on Passionate Mystic.

I will always be a Passionate Mystic, it is just who I am, but my soul is calling me to start anew. My desire to bless woman and inspire them to come home to the heart of who they are, has birthed a new blog and new website.

I would be honored if you would choose to follow my inspirational stories on my new blog: http://www.mysoulslippers.blogspot.com/

Thank you for taking the time throughout the last year to read and expand with me.

A blessing to my Passionate Mystic readers… May the sunshine of your soul illuminate your path with boundless wonder. May you freely gather the treasure of life that blossoms beneath your feet. May your heart be an ever-flowing vessel of love spilling goodness to those who rise to meet you. And may your days and your nights be full of the luminosity of YOU!

Oceans of Love,

Colleen Laukka

Say What You Need to Say

I was driving to the store this morning when the song by John Mayer, Say What You Need to Say, came on the radio. I’ve heard the song before and never paid much attention to it, but today was different. I was listening to the world around me. At first I thought, “how redundant” and as I continued listening I pictured all the people this song was inspiring and I thought, “brilliant lyrics, simple but profound!”

I was still singing the song softly as I walked into the grocery and greeted an older woman dressed in pink. I thought to myself, “My she looks pretty!” and the lyrics spoke to my heart, “Say what you need to say.” So I spoke up and told her how pretty she looked in pink this morning. Her face brightened and we had a genuine moment of connection. It felt so yummy! Reminding me how easy it is to use my words to encourage others. We were both examining the oranges and I saw her struggling to find the perfect orange to fill her sack. The lyrics played softly in my head, “Say what you need to say.” So I shared my knowledge of picking the perfect citrus by looking for the heavier pieces that indicate a juicy piece of fruit. She was pleased with her new found knowledge and I was reminded that life has gifted me with knowledge and wisdom and I am expected to share it freely with others, and that holding back my wisdom is being selfish.

When I arrived home I heard from a friend in the midst of a challenging divorce and she was questioning me how she was going to move out of her house without stress, with her soon to be ex-husband still at home. The song lyrics still fresh in my memory spoke loudly “Say what you need to say”, and gave me an answer. I reminded her that her thoughts about this situation where overwhelming her with fear and causing the anxiousness she was feeling. I suggested she replace the negative self talk and say, “In a relaxed and easy manner and with God’s Divine Grace I peacefully move into my new home.” She asked me to repeat it again so she could write it down. The words were like balm to her troubled heart, reminding me that the way we talk about a situation will not only effect our moods but our outcome.

A few hours later I was meeting with a friend and she was editing some of my work and made a comment about my poetic writing and it threw water on my flame. As I was driving home the lyrics came to my rescue, “say what you need to say” and I immediately smiled at myself for allowing doubt to enter my heart and stated with great fervor for the Universe to hear, “I am an original and I am following my heart and it is stirred by a noble theme. My pen has been anointed with grace and I will ride forth victorious for God has blessed me forever!” (Psalm 45:1) amen, amen and amen!!! (a big happy sigh!) My smile broadened as I said what I needed to say to calm my fears and put me back in the flow of grace. Thank you John Mayer for inspiring me today by saying what you need to say!

~Colleen Laukka

I can trust my heart

(image credit)

I can trust my heart. I know this. But there are times that I allow my mind/ego to lull me into a forgetting and I fall off the wagon hitched to my heart. I become so preoccupied with figuring things out through analysis that the gentle pull of the reins of my heart get ignored. In the process of falling off my heartwagon I sustain bruises and begin to accumulate mud on my shoes until finally I trip and twist my ankle. Battered from choices that easily could have been avoided I climb back into the safety and ease of my wagon. As I recover, I smile at my choices and my desperate attempts to make things fit in my life that the soft nudging of my heart had earlier said no to.

“But what if”, the mind says and “You never know”, “Just try, what is the harm of exploring this choice?” I have learned there are truly no mistakes, just detours and lessons learned. Life will continue to offer me choices and confront me with decisions that will need to be made. I can choose the easy or the hard way. Both are valid choices. Both come bearing gifts.

I have learned that sometimes my soul just needs another lesson and I choose the hard way. It is all good and as I embrace the perfection of my imperfection I round my wagon up for a needed rest. I find myself at a plateau, a place of calm, a stretch of expanse that allows me to view with crystal clarity lessons learned, the energies I am ready to release and my renewed belief that, YES I CAN TRUST MY HEART!

~Colleen Laukka

My path or yours?

I was returning from my walk yesterday morning, when a group of boys crossed my path and jumped a small fence in my neighbor’s front yard to reach the sidewalk before me. I was watching the boys with great intent; it would be more descriptive to say I was glaring at the boys and watching their every step. My son’s snowboard had been stolen from our front porch last month and I was eyeing the boys with great suspicion. With my eyes on their path instead of my own, I tripped over the uneven pavement and catapulted myself into an unpleasant encounter with the sidewalk. As my hand scraped the cement and I felt the stinging sensation of a fresh wound, one of the boys turned around and with great concern asked, “Are you o.k. Ma’am?” I was fine, though red-faced and eating humble pie for judging the boys so harshly.

I sit here in this moment and smile at the thought of how gracious the Universe is with me. I desire nothing more than having a pure heart, a heart that sees others with great love, completely free of judgment. The Universes obliged me with a stinging reminder that I am to keep my eyes on my path and allow others to freely walk their path. A friend told me once, that I could only judge others as harshly as I judge myself. So as I reflect on this, I ask myself, “What am I eyeing with suspicion in my own heart?” “Where do I see that I am up to no good, when I am just out having fun?”

Life is always presenting us with opportunities to become more aware of who we are and how we are showing up in the world. Life is forever unfolding, just as we are. So... I give myself a big hug and allow myself the space and the grace to learn this lesson with renewed love for myself and all that I encounter along my path.
~Colleen Laukka

Magic came a Knock'n!

Have you ever just really wanted something and the next thing you knew there it was, with no struggle or effort on your part?

Well today was my day. I have been busy doing school work and have not posted on my blog for a while, but today was so magical that I just had to share!

Today I had a paper due and I was busy writing and because earlier in the week I had been on a cleansing fast, I had little food in the house. I was tired of my filtered water and wanted something sweet and juicy and crunchy and had my heart set on an apple. A short while before magic came a knock’n, I had mentioned to my son that I was in the mood for something juicy! He offered to go to the local smoothie shop and buy me a smoothie, but I declined and said, “No, I want a juicy apple!” He continued to extol the virtues of a smoothie and why it would satisfy me more then an apple, but I remained resolute and said, “No! I want an apple!” And then found myself saying out loud, “Hmmm, an apple would taste so yummy right now!” And I pictured myself biting into it and enjoying the sweetness.

I was too busy to go shopping so I contented myself with a glass of water instead and immersed myself in my schoolwork and the next thing I knew, someone was knocking on my door. When I opened my door I was greet by a man with an apple in his hand and he sliced it open and handed me half of it and proceeded to sell me on why I should purchase his produce. I stood there with such astonishment and a knowing grin as I bit into the apple and juice began running down my arm.

I don’t know about you, but I have never had a produce man come to my door, selling apples, especially in APRIL! And, but of course I purchased a bushel of apples from this man! But the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey would say, I didn’t have cash at home and he mentioned that he could take a debit card, but his machine would not work for some reason. So I said, “Well, I guess the Universe wants to me have the apples for free!” And without a beat he said, “They are on the house! Next time we are in town you can purchase apples from us” So how is that for magic!

A profound lesson for me, teaching me that the Universe does deliver! When I have a clear vision, magic does come a knock’n and just finds you!

Dear Papa!

Warren (Bud) John Laukka. July 14, 1933 - January 22, 2010.

I wish you could of known him. You would have loved him… just like I do.

It is difficult to say goodbye to my Dad. Even though I can snuggle up to the memories and be warmed by the embers of love that are still burning brightly in my soul, I will no longer be gifted with the touch of his hand. But I will be embraced by the light of his love. For love is the gift that binds us eternally and keeps on giving. The gift of love goes on and on and on....

Dad left some big “Soul Shoes” behind. I can see him, with a twinkle in his eyes and a heart full of love calling me to carry on his legacy of love.
I stand with a heart overflowing with love and tears running down my face, with a resounding YES! I will continue the Legacy of his Love that was so freely shared, and it will continue for generations to come to bless my children and my children’s, children’s, children…. and to all who may grace our lives.


“LOVE ABOVE ALL IS THE GIFT OF ONESELF”
~Jean Anouilh

Oh my gosh!, as I got to this point on my blog post a song started to play out of nowhere on my computer. It is a song that I have never heard before. I know it was a message from Dad trying to comfort me and “sing me a song” to let me know that LOVE will “get my feet back on the ground” and let me know how proud he is of me. He is telling me "not to hide" my light. "let me look in your eyes" he sang, "you shine so bright." That he would "hold me like the starry skies." He would often say things and his "words would come out wrong", but with a heart full of love! The song was so sweetly perfect and so my Dad!!!
(The mysterious song came from a myspace sight I had opened earlier to find a Sandi Patty song)

I was sobbing as I listened to the words and felt my Dad speak to me through this song.

It was a beautiful experience, even though this type of music is not the music that I am attracted to, the message was clearly from my Dad!!

Honey Let Me Sing You a Song (click to hear)

Maybe I'm blind, maybe I'm blind
Oh I couldn't see you shine
And shimmer right in front of my eyes
Front of my eyes, oh no

I never saw light, never saw light
All I saw were faded mirrors and dim reflections but,
You shine, you shine so much brighter, Oh

CHORUS:
So honey let me sing you a song,
And listen to my words as they come out wrong, but don't
Run away, run away, this time.
And honey let me look in your eyes
You can open them one at a time, but don't
Look away, look away, this time.

Open your mind, open your mind
To know that you don't have to hide
So please don't leave me
Don't meet me outside, leave me outside, oh no.

Oh, and honey I'll try, honey I'll try to hold you
Like the starry skies, we lie beneath tonight,
Cause you shine, you shine so much brighter,
Oh oh oh oh

CHORUS:
So honey let me sing you a song,
And listen to my words as they come out wrong, but don't
Run away, run away, this time.
And honey let me look in your eyes
You can open them one at a time, but don't
Look away, look away, this time.

Oh I'm walking on a wire, cause you're all I want now
So don't feed me to the fire, and I won't let you down,
And please don't hide, these things we say tonight
Can help us get our feet back on the ground

CHORUS:
So honey let me sing you a song,
And listen to my words as they come out wrong, but don't
Run away, run away, this time.
And honey let me look in your eyes
You can open them one at a time, but don't
Look away, no, look away, no, look away, don't look away, oh

And honey let me sing you a song,
And listen to my words as they, come out wrong, but don't
Run away, run away this time
And honey let me look in your eyes,
Oh they burn like fire, but don't
Look away, look away, this time.

And don't, look away, look away this time.

Don't look away, look away, this time.

My life is so magical! I can’t stop crying. Thank you Dad! I love you so!

Love is all around

Love. Do you feel it? It encircles you in its embrace of simplicity. Moment by moment love is there in the space that surrounds you, in the cells that have formed you, in the breath that sustains you. Love is all around you, as the lyrics to a Wet Wet Wet song describe:

I feel it in my fingers
I feel it in my toes
Love is all around me
And so the feeling grows

It’s written on the wind
It’s everywhere I go, oh yes it is
So if you really love me
Come on and let it show


I love that song! It is another choral reminder that love is abounding and to open my heart and share it freely. I often end my personal correspondence with the words “Oceans of Love” because it reminds me that I am literally swimming in love and gently washes me into it’s presence.

I recently started an online journal where I daily record my gratitude’s. I have kept gratitude journals in the past, but for some reason, seeing on one page, multiple days strung together with grace, synchronicity, and delight has exposed the underlying current of love that is flowing effortlessly through my life. It has blessed me with profound gratitude for my life, just as it is at this very moment.

Love is not complicated, it often come disguised as the simple things in life. Like a text from a friend that lights my morning with sunshine, a new online connection sparking a new idea, a friend who offers to help me promote my new Meetup group, a feeling of deep peace during my meditation and receiving a “I Love you Mom!!” from my daughter on Facebook.

It is important to acknowledge the love that encircles us daily, it doesn’t matter the form, it could be a prayer of gratitude, an actual journal that you write in nightly, an online form that allows you to see your days strung together with love, or even a message written in the sand. It is the expression of gratitude that counts, not the form. The more your heart truly sings with love and joy and peace the more your outer life will mirror the richness of who you are.

Remember, not only is love all around you, YOU are LOVE.

A mantra for the week:
I allow love to flow in me, through me and as me! For, I AM (deep breath) LOVE.
~Colleen Laukka