“Falcon”

“Let me rise above my fear and soar like the one I am meant to be.”

Thus far, I created these three full-color versions using color pencils:

Falcon #1 – 12″ diameter

Falcon #2 – 4″ diameter

Falcon #3 – 7″ diameter

Falcon is one of many mandalas created after my trip to Egypt with my husband in 1999. King Tut’s falcon pectoral inspired this particular mandala design. It reminds me of the rising phoenix, a transformation from out of the ashes.I felt inspired to create a mandala based on this pectoral, featuring just the head, wings and orange orb. It was with Falcon that I learned the value of meditating while creating mandalas. During the first and second versions of Falcon, I knew what I wanted to create and yet kept falling short of my vision. For me, it lacked any real depth. Then a friend introduced me to a form of meditation where I connect with the energy of the mandala as part of the process of bringing it into form. Falcon #1 came out of that form of meditation. Notice the major differences between the gaps above the falcon’s head in all three. The meditation version (Falcon #1) shows a clear connection or opening from the top of the mandala to the top of the falcon’s head. For me that signified the open channel between me and the energy of this mandala.

First Version of Falcon

Second Version of Falcon

Falcon #1 – 12″ diameter

Falcon is my personal favorite and is also used for my business logo. It best represents the dramatic effect Egypt had on me and on my own personal transformation.

The Message

Much has been written about fear…the good, the bad and the ugly of it.

In healthy doses it helps keep us from harm, motivates us to be prepared, and/or reminds us that we’re expanding the envelop of our comfort zone. In over doses, it stops us in our tracks, keeping us from reaching our full potential, preventing us from being “all in” with who we really are both inside and out.

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt’s First Inaugural Address

Falcon reminds us to acknowledge the fear, connect with our heart (courage*), and, most importantly, step forward into our greatness…taking that leap of faith. Instead of stuffing our fear or being in denial of it, let’s OWN it! let’s FACE it! We can tell it “yeah…I may fall flat on my face for doing this but I’m going to do it anyway because I know in my heart of hearts it’s what I am suppose to do or be.”

“Feel the Fear . . . and Do It Anyway” Susan Jeffers, PhD (great book)

In Dr. Jeffer’s book, “Feel the fear and do it anyway”, she states that our greatest fear is believing we can’t handle whatever it is we fear (phobias, being alone, success, failure, death, etc.). In truth, the more we face our fear, the more confidence we gain and the more we can handle whatever comes our way.

She offers this powerful mantra: “I can handle it“

“It’s not brave if you’re not scared” – from the movie Bounce

It’s when we face our fear by walking through it that we diminish it and ultimately de-solve it…because in the end, all fear is…is an illusion, a false thought, an empty idea, a bird without wings. Acronyms for FEAR:

• False Evidence Appearing Real
• Forgetting Everything’s All Right
• Face Everything and Recover!

In closing, let me post my favorite quote about stepping in our greatness:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” If you like the paragraph, you’ll love the book…! (A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles” by Marianne Williamson.)