The Singing Warrior: What are we waiting for? We are the people we’ve been waiting for!!!

Posted on February 23, 2012 by

We are the ancestors of the next generation

So, I waited. I waited a whole lifetime for something to happen. I saw things happening around me but I dared not confront the changes. I lived in fear of myself first and everything that surrounded me second.
 
I sat in a healing room in some obscure place in Scotland and was plainly told “You got tired of waiting’. These five words got to my very soul. My whole body shivered. I wanted to escape. I needed to run away. But I didn’t. I knew that it was time to stop waiting. I was the person I was waiting for. I was the person I knew I could be and had forgotten. I stood my ground and found myself again. Fifty years of waiting. Fifty years of yearning to be me.  The fear of being me was greater than being the tormented soul that I was. When I chose to cease the endless waiting, it transformed my life, my perception of life and all the decisions that I have made in my life for me since.
 
We owe ourselves to show up for ourselves. That’s the simple fact. The universal consciousness is transforming itself. We are all part of it. We are a global tribe transcending en evolving. The evidence is that the economy is not working, governments also. The wait is becoming restless. It has become a weight. A great weight of Wounded Warriors, travelling in pain, sorrow and suffering. The guidance is within all of us. The inner wisdom to be sought and shared. The divinity of our essence, so powerful that we can move mountains. We can hear our voices echoe through the darkness and shadows. We are the people. We are the spokesmen of our ancestors, in turn as ancestors to our children.
 
“What can I do?”
You know what you can do. You follow your path of truth. You follow the wisdom of the truths that were given to you but forgotten. Connect with your truth. Connect with Nature. Connect with your fellow warriors.
 
One Masai warrior told me to leave my past behind. I did. I made incredible changes and took that leap of faith on a shamanic healing weekend. In doing so, have met other wonderful warriors who do likewise. The essence of who we truly are lies in the essence of one’s ability to listen to the messages of the Spirit, blindly trust in your own abilities and move forward into the light with inner strength and wisdom.
 
No, I don’t have all the answers but I have my instincts and intuition. We,who were once part of an indigenous tribe who lived by the Spirit of the Law. We who walked the earth with our backs to the sun and the wind whispering her profound messages.
 
We are the people we’ve been waiting for. The people capable of fantastic actions. The people battling to save our planet. The people who show compassion and unconditional love. The people whose combined talents and gifts can assist in great transformations. The people who show the ways to the next generation.
 
Namaste
Niamh
 
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The Singing Warrior: Sharing the trail of tears today: Tomorrow is tomorrow

Posted on February 21, 2012 by

Beautiful, innocent, lost brother

I travelled to see him today. I got the early tram, train, bus and walked twenty minutes into the countryside. A red-brick building appeared out of nowhere. It was surrounded by water. A sort of island. I saw a lone figure waiting for me outside waving enthusiastically. I took deep breaths and moved forward. My brother’s new home.
 
It is a new project of the Dutch Government. Long-term older physciatric patients have to be put somewhere. They don’t fit into the mainstream clinics any more. They have failed to live on their own. The investment has not paid off.  So the great plan has been evolved to place them in a complex with all the facilities necessary to help them live out their last days on this earth together. This complex houses sixty patients. They all have their own apartment with a nice spacious livingroom/kitchenette and a large bedroom and bathroom. Very nice indeed. My brother said that he was allowed to choose his own curtains and wallpaper out of five different patterns. I got the guided tour. Everywhere large flat screen televisions, coffee areas, laundry rooms. The rooms were named appropriately. The ‘Green’ room was the restaurant. The ‘Cloud’ room was the rest/leisure space.
 
Lots of nurses passed me by. Young, relaxed and seemed to know where they were going. We sat down for coffee in one of the brightly coloured lounges. Bewildered faces sat opposite me, slightly irritated that I was blocking their view from the very large television screen. My brother needed a smoke so I followed him to the smoking area. More lost faces, bloated, overweight, smoking heavily. No conversation. Silence. Silent corridors. Clinical cosiness. Sterile emotions. Medicated lost souls.
 
‘You don’t need to worry about me, Niamh. I am looked after”.
 
I gazed into my brother’s pale-blue eyes and took his hand. He proceeded to tell me the menu for the day, tomorrow and the next day. A cooking club was starting up soon for the male patients. There was a walking club but that was for patients who had zimmer frames. He continued on talking but I had stopped listening.
 
I remember when you were a young boy, gazing up to the sky and telling me the names of the stars.
I remember you taking my hand and telling me that it was okay when daddy said farewell yet again.
I remember you teaching me how to read the small words on the chef sauce bottle.
I remember your tears refusing to fall when daddy died and me embracing you tightly.
I remember when you were in the hospital after your failed suicide attempt, begging me to stay.
I remember telling you that it would be okay.
I remember you understanding my pain after my miscarriage.
I remember you holding your head to mine and weeping for the torment in your head.
 
 He walked me out to the broad entrance and waved me off. I  turned around and blew him a kiss. So many blown kisses. So many spent tears.
 
I remember us walking barefoot on the beach collecting seashells and he handed the most beautiful to me.
 
“This is for you, Niamh. It’s the prettiest.”
 
The rhythm of the train followed my heartbeat and the fat tears that dripped uncontrollably onto the floor.
 
Namaste
Niamh
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The Singing Warrior: Radio Interview for Irish Radio Programme – Sile’s Shenanagans-Newstalk

Posted on February 19, 2012 by

Angels gowhere fools fear to thread

Firstly, I would like to thank Sile and her programme for inviting me to speak about my experiences. We chatted on the phone already before the radio interview and had e-mailed. I had been to Dubin in the summer but the ‘timing’ was not right. Sometimes, we need to wait for the ‘universe’ to let things happen. Thank you Newtalk for your wonderful support.
 
It was a short ten-minute interview but I gave it my best shot to say as much as possible in the time. However, I realize that there was so much more to tell. Luckily, I have a blog. The Singing Warior continues her message to those who would like to listen…
 
I spoke to Thomas Grufferty, shaman,after the broadcast. His fantastic mentoring has kept me sane in moments of doubt. The essence of my message, perhaps was a bit wishy-washy. I must say that on my journey, all my life I didn’t know where to turn.  I am so passionate about helping others see what is before them. A fantastic capacity to tranform and change, no matter what the past has held. I lived so many years, rootless and in dreadful pain. My body and soul, before the shamanic healing weekend, knew that this was it. On some level, I acknowledged that to move forward, the rest of the past had to be accounted for. Yes, I am held accountable for a lot of my past. On some level, it was called to me and I played my part very well. The first step to transformation is acknowledgement of the role one has played. I am not saying that a nine-year old deserved to be raped and abused. What I am saying is that I was so damaged by the time certain events happened, I just accepted my fate and destiny. I felt I hadn’t the tools to fight the battles but in actual fact, I was extremely powerful and didn’t know it. We all hold our own medicine and empowerment.
 
The tree stays steadfast when the wind comes. The branches bend to the wind. But the whole tree is rooted and faces the storm. She does not lean into the storm but bends her branches to greet the storm. (acknowledgement: Thomas Grufferty)
 
I was going in every direction where the wind took me. It wasn’t until I stood tall in my Truth and Spirit, that I took my power back and stood in the eye of the storm. Fellow warriors, the blood of the wound is needed to heal the wound but not the ever-flowing blood of the wound. The pain is part of the process but not the suffering. It is not needed to move forward into the light (Thomas Grufferty).
 
My healing journey is an ongoing process like us all. The ‘taking back of my power’ that was taken from me. The putting together of the jigsaw puzzle and asking Why am I like this? The intent of discovery and recovery. The intent of transformation and change.  I have (and still) have wonderful facilitators to help me on my path as I facilitate others. It is as it should be – we are all our own teachers and in finding the ‘source’ of why life is not working for YOU, is the greatest gift you can give yourself. Give yourself permission to walk the path of the Wounded Warrior and choose your path that is waiting for you.
 
I acknowledge Thomas Grufferty, shaman, Ireland
Emer McAuley-O’Broin, shamanic practitioner, Scotland
 
The radio podcast is at Newstalk.ie – Sile’s Shenanagans – 18th February – 1.00 p.m. – listenback
 
Thank you for all your support in listening. My book is available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.  Please let me know yur reacitons of the radio show.
 
Namaste
Niamh
 
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The Singing Warrior:Reviews ‘The Soul Millionaire’ by David J. Scarlett

Posted on February 15, 2012 by

A must-have on your bookshelf

I could not put this book down.This book is a ficional account of a the rags-to-riches story of the author, David J. Scarlett.  It is in novel form but it is based on the author’s life. A fascinating story of how we can change our lives through a series of steps, principles and models.
 
There is a clear message that we can achieve greatness in our lives through the ‘soul milionaire’s philosophy. The evidence shows that he could pay off his incredible debt, avoiding bankruptcy and becoming a respected Financial Adviser and Business Coach. This all took place within twelve months of his conversion to the soul millionaire’s philosophy.
 
The book is clearly written and at the end of each chapter is the progress tracker and lessons learned.
It is not only a self-help book but an incredible journey of insights and epiphanies that one can apply in your own life. It’s a success story of turning around your whole being. Your whole lifestyle and inner self.
 
I am now determined to apply the principles of the Soul Millionaire in my own life. Financial Management, Residual Income, Tithing.  The book has given me the tools to begin this journey that I already had started but had not the knowledge to continue.
 
I recommend this book to all the fellow warriors who want to change their life, lifestyle and be successful. Success being defined as being healthy, balanced and financially stable in order to concentrate on the most important elements in our lives – family, friends and our spiritual welfare.
 
Namaste
Niamh 
 
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The Singing Warrior: The Love Bug: The only virus that does not need to be contained…

Posted on February 14, 2012 by

Matters of the Heart

Yes, we celebrate Valentine’s Day with great gestures of flowers, cards and romantic dinners. The commercial aspect of it is very addictive. People expect and assume that their loved ones won’t forget and there is an expectancy. However, when it’s all done with ‘good intent’, there is no harm. Love needs to be honoured and nourished in so many forms. Society has just capitalized on another event that can make money and that’s the great drawback. Millions spent on frivolous gifts and plastic objects that will clutter up and gather dust.
 
Matters of the heart are the most difficult. A broken heart, a diseased heart, a change of heart. The heart plays such an important role in our lives whether it is figuratively or realistically. Nowadays, a heart transplant is almost a standard procedure. Triple and quadruple bypasses also. People are in and out of the hospital within days. But when it comes to matters of the emotional heart. A break-up, divorce, unrequieted love. Yes, these matters take so much longer to heal. So many Wounded Warriors going through life with anger, loss, pain and grief. How do we try and fix a ‘broken heart’? The pain sometimes can feel so real (as I only know too well) that one actually feels a physical pain in the beating heart.
 
There is no simple answer. It’s a process of healing, like an operation of the soul. There is no quick fix but yes, there is a solution. We can learn to live with the pain and embrace it as the ‘scars of the Wounded Warrior’. But the most important aspect is to let the suffering go. It is the suffering that weighs down our ability to move on and we become our own victim/perpetrator.  To release the anchors of our past is part of our life. We don’t need the baggage to weigh us down so deeply that we cannot open our heart for more love. To surrender that part of us that knows that if we can love so blindly and deeply, that that gift is the gift that should move on with us not the negative part of anger, guilt, betrayal, disappointment. Leave that behind.
 
Our fantastic capacity to love is the heart of the matter. Our ability to see beyond the pain and on soul level, dust off the chains of disappointment, and surrender again to the wonderful art of loving. The art of giving. The art of being you. We all have choices and free will in our lives. In the novel Great Expectations (Dickens), one sees Miss Havisham, having being jilted at the altar, living a hermit’s life in her great stately home. But her hatred of love was passed on to her guardian, Estelle which had painful repercussions for her and Pip.  It’s so easy to create a pattern and pass it on to our children or the warriors that are influenced by us. Love needs to be unconditional and ongrowing. It needs to be nurtered in the garden of life. Dreadful consequences are seen daily in the news of broken-hearted spouses taking the lives of their ex-lovers and also the children. These are the consequences of anger and misplaced love.
 
Have a wonderful, loving Valentine’s Day. Enjoy the moments that are given to us in light and joy. Enjoy all that is good about Love. Enjoy Love for what it is. Beating moments of joy and lasting moments of wind-borne kisses that touch the very essence of our hearts. The hearts of being YOU.
 
Namaste
Niamh
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The Singing Warrior: The Give Gift. The Taker’s Toll

Posted on February 13, 2012 by

Affordable for All

My local supermarket at the end of my road is owned by a fantastic hardworking Turkish family. Their supermarket is open when everybodyelse’s is closed. In all weathers, I receive a greeting ‘Hello Buurvrouw’ which means ‘Hello neighbour’. The family have recently started a small catering kitchen at the back of the supermarket. It’s fantastic home-made turkish food at extremely reasonable prices.  
 
This family are very close to my heart indeed. They symbolize for me the ‘chipping away’ mentality that I myself have. Despite a recession, they have opened up a new way to supplement their income. However, their profit margin is just enough for them to make a little and yet they genuinely give generously to the neighbourhood. Where would you get a broodje doner and a drink for E2.50?
 
I spoke to the head of the family and mentioned facebook to him. I said that I would advertise for him. He was so grateful and happy. They don’t have a facebook page. I didn’t either a year ago. But it’s not about advertising for somebody. It’s about acknowledging their efforts and I acknowledge their efforts big time today. The owner’s language skills are not optimal. His dutch and english are very limited but with lots of hand movements and gestures, we always get our message across. The word ‘Facebook’ was known to him and I knew that his nephew, sometimes helps out in the shop and suggested that he ask his nephew to set-up a facebook account for him. It’s in the small advice and suggestions that we help the most.
 
 I believe so strongly in the community I live in. It’s a living community with a breathing enterprise. We need to support the oxygen flow for the lungs to develop and keep breathing. FLORYA Supermerket is one of those sources of oxygen. It provides the community with a very good service, always a kind word and reasonable prices. In doing so, they create a very good business because people keep coming back.  Authenticity will always attract positive energies. Hard work and thinking outside the box. A work ethic of affordable prices.
Greed is a short-term viability. It does not survive for long. The toll leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths and they move on.  Giving and being in business is possible. It’s a balance of   exchange. The irony is that with this work ethic, I know that this turkish family will do very well. They will receive abundance and deserve to have it.
 
Florya Supermarkt
Copernicuslaan 58-60
2561 VJ
The Hague
 
Namaste
Niamh
 
 
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The Singing Warrior: In the thick of things….

Posted on February 3, 2012 by

Snowy and frosty thoughts for clarity

The snow crunches under my outrageous snow boots, a fashion faux-pas of years ago. But they serve their purpose, warm, cosy and gripping. Yes, they grip the white slippiness and point me in the direction of the local shops. A guarantee that no accidents will take place.  But are there any guarantees? My over confident gait stumbled precariously. Just in time. I saved myself. My balance was restored.
 
I dreamt last night of snow and white horses. I dreamt that I rode through a valley of soft falling snow and my dead grandmother greeted me, pale, and the rest of my dream is forgotten. How many times do we receive signs born out of ordinary things but seem so extraordinary when we reflect on the messages conveyed?
 
I feel that I am in the deep wood of life. The trees surround me but I cannot see the details because the whole wood distracts me. I think that I know where I am going but lose the path to find myself on another path, strewn with withered and dead leaves. Yet, I continue on in the direction that is safe and worn.The path that is smooth and easy,attracts me yet evades me. So many unanswered questions, yet answerable by the messages conveyed to me by Nature.
 
Many warriors choose to find their own way. Others are led by other warriors. Many others, decide to listen to the messages that surround them. It’s a path of many new findings, discoveries and adventure. Either way, it can evolve our senses and what is more beautiful than the evolution of our higher selves and take a ‘leap of faith’ into the unknown, regardless of the outcome.
 
Yes, I am in the thick of things, the eye of the storm, but know that by remaining calm and believing in myself, the storm will pass and like many warriors before me, I will be triumphant in all the good that should be good and the lessons that will be given to me for the higher good.
 
Namaste
Niamh
 
 
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