June - my Birthday Month - Reflections

Every year, as we enter June – my birthday month – I become reflective. I ask myself:

Where am I at, on all levels? Am I being true to the highest within me? Am I listening to the voice of my heart, or only that of obligation? Am I still walking the path of love that I keep talking about?

I can confidently say that this past year has been about standing fully on the spiritual path I undertook long ago, and placing it front and centre in all that I do.

Not allude to it. Not make subtle reference to it. Not couch it in pretzeled words.

Stand fully in it. Let its wisdom define my steps.

This has truly been my journey since the day I returned from pilgrimage, and began sharing the stories and experiences. There's a battle that has continually waged within me between the “professional” world and the “spiritual” world:

How do you bridge these worlds? How do you speak from the heart and be taken seriously in a professional setting? How do you remain loyal to your truth and BE an instrument of love when the world around you seems to trivialize that?

Those have been the big questions that I and Alberto have grappled with.

What I now know for sure is that there is only the inner journey. The outer world is a manifestation of all my inner longings and limitations. There is nothing "out there".

I see so clearly now that whatever shows up is a loving opportunity to see the wounds within me that are clamouring to be healed, the entrenched beliefs that seek to be transformed back to love, the thoughts that need to be elevated back to their divine essence.

I have also seen how this way of being transforms every opportunity and interaction I define as "professional".

For a while now, I have felt a tide rising within me that can no longer be contained… and that I do not wish to contain.

I believe this is not only happening to me, but all around me, in the discourse we are now seeing in all areas of life ( social, political, economic, etc.) on the importance of placing love front and centre in all that we do, that it may light our way forward as one human family and guide us to our inevitable awakening in consciousness.

It's an exciting time to be alive, and to participate, in my own way, in this awakening.

I’ll be making more concrete announcements shortly but, for now, I want to thank you for being on this magnificent journey with me as I too explore what it means to be love in this world and to continually pour it forth.

All my love 🙏💖
Mony

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#monydojeiji #albertoagraso #consciousness #walkingforpeace #authenticity#wisdom #universaltruth #love #loveistheway #reflections #awakening 

2018 - Reflection, Intention and Motion

Mony Dojeiji

As 2018 gallops forward, I want to take a few moments to reflect on this past year, and the person who continues to emerge from the process.

It’s tempting to start by listing off all accomplishments; and, yes, I’m very proud of them. Of what I’ve accomplished alone, and with my ever-supportive husband and partner-in-all Alberto. I’m especially proud that we continue to honour our company’s mission which is to create and offer books and artwork that expand consciousness. We’ve worked hard and, for all that we have done, I am grateful.

Especially important to me is WHO I AM BEING while going about my tasks. Long ago, I set an intention for my life: to be a bringer of peace, light and love in the world, and to unfold to their maximum the unique God-given talents I have been given in order to serve that intention.

To me, that means being tethered to Spirit in every moment and acting on its dictates, not out of some servile obligation, but out of love for self and that divine grace which has created me.

It means knowing what I stand for, and acting in consequence. How may I serve? Is what I am doing an expression of who I am? Am I residing in a consciousness of love or fear? My answers to those questions dictate my day. Of course I messed up…many times. But then I stood, dusted myself off and tried again.

This is not an easy way to live sometimes because the mind clamours for order, detail, security, plans, control.

And although I can fill my days with tasks and to-do lists, and feel quite accomplished, I have seen that my biggest leaps happen when I’m aligned with Spirit.

This past year, that calling led me to explore more fully what it means to be a storyteller, telling my stories (as a professional speaker) and those of others (as Host and Producer of my own show The Author’s Journey). At first, I worried that dedicating so much unpaid time to other peoples’ projects would take valuable time away from mine. But then I realized that I have been given an invaluable gift: a platform from which I can bring conversations that inspire and empower. And I’m definitely all about that!

I also realized that, although it’s important to speak and share my stories, the greater opportunity is to bring into the world light, love and inspiration – no matter where it resides – so that our energies, collectively, lift the world. It’s a great privilege to be in that space, knowing that in serving a higher good, all that I need and more shall be given unto me.

I’m always honoured when people seek my counsel, whether it’s for their personal life journey or matters of the heart or Spirit. At the same time, I feel we are ALL being called to bring our wisdom, light, truth, consciousness into leadership roles, and to use that power to influence decisions that impact our communities and societies. I don’t know what that looks like for me yet, only that it resonates very deeply with me, and that I intend to explore it more fully.

It was impossible to escape the many news events that rocked our world last year, and to observe them rather than be swayed by them. It was easy to feel angry and helpless at the enormity of these events. It took a while, but I finally understood that I may not have the power to resolve these situations, but I most definitely have the power to respond to them.

And I choose to respond with calm, with openness, with love, and with discourse that elevates and brings reconciliation…because there are enough voices to the contrary.

I choose to awaken and see the light in others, especially when they can’t see it for themselves…because that’s what brothers and sisters of the soul do.

I choose to declare another way: to BE the helper, the builder, the change-maker, the way-shower, the light-worker. To be the first to forgive, lend a hand, build a bridge, offer a smile. It all begins with me.

This is what it means to be peace in the world. It is a state of BEING that dictates all that I am DOING. It is from this consciousness that, I believe, we change the world.

I know that the details of 2018 will unfold before me, as they have always, because I know that I’m not alone on the journey.

My “job” is to remain connected to Source, gaze lifted and heart open; and to act when the moment arrives, even when the path seems fraught with uncertainty and not entirely marked.

It means being a pilgrim on this grand pilgrimage called life.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. May your every step this year be blessed.
~Mony <3

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#booksandartthattransform #books #transformation #consciosuness #lightworkers #light #love #peace #monydojeiji #resolutions #consciousbusiness #SpiritinBusiness #socent #socialenterprise #socialgood 

My Mony-festo!

I’ve spent the last few weeks reading my diaries, and reflecting on how to remain loyal to my spiritual beliefs and authentic voice, in the face of so many outer distractions and noise.

One of the first things I noticed is just how cautious I was in fully integrating those beliefs into my “professional” life. It’s as if there’s an invisible line, sometimes a concrete wall, between being “spiritual” and being “professional”, and you have to choose where you stand.

I saw how I was continually twisting myself into knots trying to find the words that would appeal to business people and not isolate them with my talk of the Spirit, and similarly appeal to “spiritual” people without sounding too professional or being ‘Marketing Mony’.

How exhausting!

I believe that there is a universal spirituality grounded in love, compassion, and understanding that most definitely has a place at the table of any conversation, be it business, politics, or any other “professional” realm; because if we can’t bring our highest values and highest selves into the conversations, then what kinds of decisions and choices are we making, for ourselves and others?

So, I am tearing that artificial barrier down, and declaring that my work is the outward expression of all that I believe.

I believe in the power of individuals to transform their lives, in words that inspire us to our higher nature, in businesses serving the social good, in leadership that is enlightened, in politics that are inclusive… and that is what I will dedicate my talents and energies to serving.

We are all on this great journey of exploration, my friends, and I look forward to sharing its many adventures and awakenings with you. <3

#inspiration #leadership #istandforlove #consciousness #consciousbusiness #spiritinaction #loveinaction #consciousnessinpolitics #socialgood #socialcontract

When competitors cooperate

When I attended business school, the concept of competition was re-enforced. A competitor was to be studied, their weaknesses analyzed, and a strategy developed to highlight their negatives while ameliorating our positives. I learned that cooperation was important, but only when used to gain competitive advantage.

That was twenty five years ago. And ten years of working in the corporate world only entrenched those views.

When I started our business a few years ago, authoring and publishing books, I had no other skills to draw upon. I used traditional metrics to measure my success, and by those standards, the business was a failure.

Yet, I knew I was doing the work that my heart was calling me to do. My pilgrimages had shifted my world view and my values, and I had used them to fashion the life I live. I decided to use them to examine every business principle I was taught.

Competition topped that list. It is based on a belief that we live in a world of scarcity, of limited resources (be they material, financial or otherwise),so, we must compete to get our share.

When I walked the Camino, and then from Rome to Jerusalem, in 2001, there were few pilgrims and even fewer resources or books.

The Camino has since become ubiquitous, and with that has come the explosion of books and materials. Every time I  read about the launch of yet another Camino book or website,  I would only see one more bit of competition in what I believed to be a limited resource. I mean, how many ways can you speak about the same path?!

It took a while to silence the voices that insisted that any attention those authors received took away from mine; that their successes meant my failure; that I had to compromise what I believed to sell books and build my platform.

I began the difficult task of shifting my inner dialogue, and writing an entirely new story about what I am offering to the world.

My "business" is, first and foremost, a reflection of who I am, not some entity separate from me.

I am here to bring forth a perspective that elevates and awakens. I am not unique or remarkable in that task. I believe each and every one of us is born to do this.

What is unique is how I bring it forth. My words, my presence, my way of being and seeing the world...those are unique. As they are for each and every one of us.

My perspective of the world will resonate with many, but not necessarily all.

But the EXPANDED perspective must be birthed. And it is the role of the "competition" to take on that task.

Source: http://lightworkers.org/blog/181018/lavender-skies

Each of us, even though we appear to have had the same experience, must share it in their unique way, so that the WHOLE is lifted.

It is when we LIFT our so-called competitor that we accomplish the GREATER GOAL, which is to lift the whole.

I didn't have to go to Spain to support my friend Sue Kenney's launch of her Spanish book. Our collaboration could have easily ended when Alberto delivered the Spanish translation. By my previous definitions, and traditional business wisdom, she is my competition. We are both pilgrims. We are both women who walked alone. We both speak to the spiritual journey.

I had only ever promoted our book and our journey. It was a little awkward at first. I couldn't find the right flow without sounding forced. Yet, as I began to promote HER story, HER achievements, HER successes, I began to feel a shift within me, a feeling of genuine pride and happiness for her successes.

It was a milestone moment in my inner journey.

Then, without effort or even the need to ask, Sue began to do the same for me, even though this was HER MOMENT.

Without the need for words, we understood that each, in her own remarkable way, was filling a piece of the Divine Puzzle. The higher goal we were both realizing had nothing to do with the book. We were participating in the birth of a higher consciousness, and THAT goal invited us to cooperate.

This experience forced me to, once again, redefine my measure of success.

The shift is a radical one, challenging so much of what we believe about ourselves and the world. Befriending a "competitor". Unbelievably still, promoting them. Lifting them.

If we could do this, how would that change our business? How would that change us? And the world?

It is a path I continue to explore.
~Mony

Measure of Success

After last night’s presentation, I was left with a lot to consider about what success means.

We were a handful of people and, with the exception of one woman who wandered in, all friends. I swallowed my disappointment and delivered our presentation as if I were standing before thousands, with the same enthusiasm and energy, because my friends deserved all our attention as well.

But then I began reflecting on what success means. Coming from the business world, I was accustomed to looking at the numbers and measuring success or failure based on those numbers.

By those standards, our event last night was a failure.

We spoke a great deal last night about lifting our perspectives of the world, of being authentic to our calling and having the courage to follow our dreams even when no one else understands them.

I finally realized that I had been using the wrong measures all along. It’s not even about success. That what the Universe, and our Highest Self, asks is that we express divine energy in the way that only we can express it.

That we become the means through which love, compassion, peace, kindness… manifest.

Our task is to put that beautiful energy out there, and to add to the beauty, perfection and wholeness that already exist in the world.

Alberto and I spent a great deal of time thinking about why inner peace was, for us, the key to global peace. That was the theme of our talk. We dedicated hours of conversation around the ideas we wanted to express until they came together in the final presentation. And we both felt elevated by the dialogue. We both felt that these energies, through the words and through our voices, needed to come through.

And we could feel that energy vibrating in the room. We only spoke for 45 minutes, but the conversation afterwards lasted for more than an hour, and continued as we were packing our things and walking to our car! LOL 

Curiously, our talk last night focused on the fact that we need to look beyond appearances, that we often have no idea how far our peace and positive energy will travel out into the universe and change the world.

I think we needed to live that last night.

So, it has nothing to do with the number of bums in the seat, or the number of books that we sell.  It has everything to do with the opportunity to express that energy.

Each and every one of you reading this is an instrument, bringing forth those higher energies which only you can uniquely bring. 

No one else can paint like you do. 

No one else can speak like you do. 

No one else can care for another like you do. 

No one else can plant a garden like you. No one else can bring peace forth like you do. 

No one else can love like you do.

You are the manifest expression of divine energy, of love in all its forms.

And by that definition, any work that you do to bring that forward is, by my definition, a success.

So keep on keeping on. Keep searching for the ways to use your unique gifts to bring into manifest the grand love of the universe. Don’t let the outer circumstances, or outdated definitions of success or failure, bring you down.

You are powerful beyond measure, and are changing the world in more ways than you can possibly imagine.

<3 

VIDEO - "What does it mean to be wealthy?" on Ottawa Experts

In this segment with wealth managers Daniel Roy and Daniel Sonkodi, they speak to the topic of what it means to be wealthy.

VIDEO "Consciousness and Wealth" on Ottawa Experts

Enjoy, and please feel free to share.

Ottawa Experts - Consciousness and Wealth, how to be a socially responsible investor

With Daniel Roy (PRAXIS Wealth Management) and Daniel Sonkodi (ONELIFE Wealth Management).

Ottawa Experts - Social Enterprises, embracing money and meaning

With my guests:

- Jan Ditchfield (The Tandem Project http://www.thetandemproject.org/), and

- Simin Foster (EngageWorks http://engageworks.ca/)

speaking about integrating social value into business mission.

Please check rogerstv.com for schedule.

Just because you're good at doing something, does that mean you always do it?

A Mony moment :-)

Just because you’re good at doing something, does that mean you always have to do it?

That question came up in a conversation Alberto and I were having about the many to-dos of running our business. The more he kept telling me it was easier for me to do the planning or marketing, the angrier I felt. It brought back memories from my seven years at Microsoft that saw me moving from one role to another: seminar presenter, product manager, marketing manager, account manager, business manager…

The management roles were all similar, in the sense that I was usually responsible for planning and executing whatever was needed to reach a new market segment or launch a new product. I didn’t have a team, and although I really wanted to grow into that leadership role, it never happened. I often wondered if there was something wrong with me until a manager confided: “We see you as a doer, and know that you’ll do a great job no matter where we put you.”

I’m sure this manager meant it as a compliment, but it deflated me.

How was I going to grow and develop new skills if I was using the same ones over and again? How would I ever grow professionally and personally?

As you all know, Alberto and I write, translate and publish our own books (with the exception of our Chinese book!). We do all the marketing, public relations, distribution and all aspects of running a business. It is our full-time work, and I am applying the same skills to our business as the ones I honed at Microsoft. Most days, I love it.

But there are days I want to give that job to someone else, and go off exploring the uncharted waters of those waiting-to-be-discovered talents.

How can I do both, and well? Is it even possible to do each path justice?

I’m navigating my way through this, and this is what I’ve discovered so far.

I’m not ready to hand off the running and growing of our business to someone else (yet), but I can ask myself:

WHY I am doing this work?
WHO am I BEING in the process?
WHAT is the HIGHEST PURPOSE that I am serving?

I can remind myself that my work is, above all else, an expression of who I am. That, in updating our website, I am sharing a part of who I am with others. That, in doing the accounting, I am appreciating our prosperity. That, in contacting agents and distributors, I am moving the engines of creation and expanding the reach of what we offer.

I’m not always in this place, btw. It is spiritual practice finding the love and the extraordinary in the routine and familiar. It’s much easier to embark on the next adventure! But when I am in that place, I am alight, let me tell you!

I also practice being present, and opening myself to the next steps in my journey as a soul in continual transformation. I especially do this in the moments when all is flowing beautifully because it’s so much easier to do than when I’m disgruntled.

I especially practice patience :-). For I have seen that when I am able to practice pouring love into what I do, and placing myself in the direction of my soul’s expansion, then all seems to work out almost effortlessly. What I have outgrown resolves itself and what I am growing into pulls me along.

In our life’s journey, this is a fork in the road we will all face, with our hearts the only beacons guiding the path we will choose.

May love and courage always guide those steps.
Blessings,
Mony