HONORING TRUTH

"Better to write for yourself and have no public; than to write for the public and have no self."

~ Cyril Connolly ~

 

It's not possible to please everybody, and yet, so often we try gallantly to do exactly that. We know that one man's trash is another man's treasure, and it's different strokes for different folks, but we figure maybe we can somehow supersede the facts. But we don't need to, and anyway, that's not the point.

     We each have our place, our purpose, our inclinations, and our message to share. And we will do best to remember and trust that those who are meant to understand will.

 

I trust in my calling and believe that my message is for those who can hear it.

LIGHTENING UP

"Count your blessings (instead of sheep)."

~Irving Berlin ~

When life gets heavy and I feel weighed down, it helps me to think about things that I love...
     I love the sunshine and fresh winter air. I love candle-light and dinner-time. I love my desk chair, my down jacket, and my dog's soft ears. I love my husband's beard, his eyes, and his sense of humor. I love the mountains and being less temperamental than I once was. I love incandescent lamp light and the heat of fires. I love thick socks and hindsight.
     Doing this, I am restored to the incredible wonder of life. There is so much to it. It's dense and rich with every element imaginable: sensation, philosophy, progress, hope- And so, although I may feel heavy from time to time, I needn't stay that way. If I will only look for it, there is plenty around to lift me up.

When I am feeling weighed down I remember all of the little things, big things, and wonderful things that I love in my life and let them buoy my spirit and fill me with light.

DREAD

"We would rather die in our dread than climb the cross of the moment and let our illusions die."

~WH Auden ~

I am willing to bet that all of us have things in our lives that we dread- and I don't mean once-in-a-while type things either, but regular, routine elements of our everyday experience. We anticipate the future with a certain amount of exasperation before it even begins; perhaps because the idea of effort is far less appealing than the effort itself. But in truth, once we begin almost anything, we are supported by momentum, increased circulation, and a sense of progress.
     So I think it's really our minds, fundamentally, that take us hostage with dark thoughts, and we fall, as if under a spell. But we don't have to. We can learn to catch ourselves in dread-mode and open our minds to let light in; and awaken to the possibility that things will turn out better than we can understand in advance.

I stop spoiling my future with negative thoughts.

SELF-SABOTAGE

"To the stars through difficulty."

~ Latin Phrase ~

We seem to have a natural talent for self-sabotage, and others can see us heading in that direction far before we can see it ourselves. It may be possible to arrest the process by practicing rigorous self-honesty, questioning our motives, and checking our choices with trustworthy others, but it may not. Sometimes, we need to fumble in order to see the truth.

I learn what I need to learn from the errors of my ways.

WHOLE LIFE CONTINUUM

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep."

~ Robert Frost ~

Our lives are marked by peak experiences- highs and lows. These are the events that form us and define us. And if we could see our lifetime as a straight line continuum, these experiences would be markers along the line like crosses on the roadside- cruceros to remember the difficulty, the achievement, the extreme joys and the pits of despair.
     And in between these peaks and valleys are untold blessings of everyday happenings; the things we take for granted, but that fill us out, and make us completely whole.

My life is a beautiful mix of highs, lows, and in-betweens. I experience them all with appreciation.

SELF-DOUBT

"If you hear a voice within you say, 'You cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."

~ Vincent Van Gogh ~

Self-doubt will paralyze us if we let it; rob us of our hope and enthusiasm; flatten our spirits, and dull our lives. And yet, we are all uniquely beautiful, gifted, and visionary. Our dreams and callings are no less valid or significant than anyone else's. The only difference really, is that they're ours.

Though I may feel self-doubt at times, I refuse to let it sink me.

WINTER SUNSHINE

"The sky and the strong wind have moved the spirit inside me till I am carried away trembling with joy."

~ Uvavnuk ~

I love the sun- especially the winter sun. It is the giver of life, light, warmth, and healing; delicious, soothing, and bright. I love it shining through windows and moving across the sky. I love it when it pops out from behind dark clouds. When I encounter the winter sun, I completely understand the notion of sun-worship, and diligently make it a regular practice in my life.

I am grateful for the blessing of the sun!

BEING AUTONOMOUS

"You shall listen to all sides and filter them for yourself."

~Walt Whitman ~

Back in the 80's there was a popular hip-hop song called "Don't believe the hype," and truly, those lyrics are classic, and still apt. We are so ready to believe anything and everything, to get swept up in public opinion and the constant spin of the media.
     Let's not. Le's remember to think for ourselves and be autonomous and authentic and true. Let's not get herded along like cattle, or sheep, en masse.

I have a good brain and many years of living experience so I needn't allow others to tell me what I ought to think. 

KARMIC REALITY

"Gardening is a question of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it."

~ Author Unknown ~

Every day, we are planting and harvesting. We experience the result of our past actions and sow the seeds for our future outcomes. Consequently, doing the next right thing is the best path I know. Living with integrity, moving steadily in the direction of our dreams, and being kind and compassionate with ourselves and others every step of the way is a good mix for a good life.

Serendipity goes both ways. Payback can be a pleasure or a slap.

WHAT WE HEAR

"The imagination sees the projection of its own deceit."

~James Russell Lowell~

Often what we hear is far different from what is actually being said. We read meanings and establish implications beyond the spoken words and react accordingly. Our insecurities, our past, and our negative expectations lie in wait like booby traps to be triggered by whatever passing comment may tread nearby.
     So when we find ire and fury rising within us, let's pause and consider the real source of our dismay. It may not be what we initiallythink.

I witness myself jumping to erroneous conclusions and take a step back to examine the facts.

STANDING CLEAR

"The struggle ends when the gratitude begins."
 ~ Neale Donald Walsch ~

 

When I operate from love and appreciation I have a much better time than when I operate from self-pity. Getting tangled up in bitterness is dangerous business. It sucks me into darkness and blinds me to the light.

 

I focus on appreciation instead of resentment.

WALKING THE WALK

"The man who has won millions at the cost of conscience is a failure."

~ B.C. Forbes ~

It's always a strange thing for me to encounter an individual who says all the right things about well-being, but seems physically and energetically unwell: haggard looking with lines of strain about the eyes, sickly skinny, and rigidly smiling.
     I believe that good health requires that we be honest with ourselves and live authentically. We must be guided and directed by love and not fear. And it's not enough to speak the words. We must live by them.
     If we are truly trusting and willing to let go, we will not be afraid to step into the unknown. We will admit and abandon our dysfunction and stop covering it over with beautiful philosophies that we profess to believe in, but refuse to actively incorporate in our life.

I practice what I preach.

SOLUTION ORIENTED THINKING

"No matter how big and tough a problem may be, get rid of confusion by taking one little step towards solution. Do something. Then try again."

~George F. Nordenhold~

It's easy to stay stuck in the problem, whatever problem we may be facing, but it doesn't get us anywhere worth going. It's far better to gather ourselves together and be real about what's what and the things we can and can't change about the situation at hand,
     If nothing else, we can become willing to change the way we're thinking. We can re-frame our position, flip the script, and open to alternative points-of-view. Being a victim feels lousy and puts us at the mercy of anything and everything. Let's make the decision to choose a solution focused orientation instead.

I focus on what's possible instead of what's problematic. 

THE FAKE

"Lord, where we are wrong, make us willing to change."

~Peter Marshall ~

Sometimes I get powerful intuitive messages that are solid and trustworthy, and sometimes I feel quite sure that the information I'm receiving comes straight from my ego and I can't trust it at all. When my ego is in charge I seem to convince myself that I know what I cannot possibly know, and live with a kind of inner assurance that is neither justified, nor accurate. It's a spiritual smugness and it serves me ill.
     True intuition seems less a fortune teller, and more of a warning system: a feeling and a undeniable knowing in the gut; the voice within that is crystal clear.
    

My ego will fraudulently pretend to be my inner guidance, so I watch for it, and remain prepared to take what it suggests with a grain of salt.

LIFE AS IT IS

"Life: it is about the gift not the package it comes in."

~Dennis P. Costea Jr ~

I feel less enthusiastic some days than others; less optimistic and bubbly and sure of my path. And that's ok. Variability is the law of life. If it were all one thing, or another, how dull it would be.

I accept the rise and fall of my emotions and my life.

SAMENESS AND CHANGE

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."

~ Victor Frankl ~

Sometimes I feel a little sad and even a bit despairing that life is so repetitive. I want to shake things up, have an adventure; maybe experience a little drama. And yet, it is exactly the external repetitions of my life that sustain me in the end, while I grow and evolve and change like crazy on the inside.

The paradox exists: from one day to the next and simultaneously, everything changes and everything stays the same.

PEACE

"There is nothing but peace- deep, calm, undisturbed."

~Ernest Holmes ~

I love the feeling of inner peace. It comes at the end of a long day, expended effort, and the knowledge that I have done my best and everything I can. There is satisfaction in doing a job well, and a job well done. I set out with willingness, show up with love, and experience peace as my grand reward.

Tranquility awaits.

GROWING GOODNESS

"How does your garden grow?"

~ Mother Goose ~

 

It is by and through our thoughts and attitudes that we create the reality of our world. And we can make it horrible or delightful, scary, or full of love. The choice is ours. So the question is: what do we choose?

 

I cultivate positivity and consistently look for all the things that I love about being alive.

BRICK WALLS

"As the practitioner incorporates the quality of tai chi movement into his life, he finds that he stops banging into things."

~Wolfe Lowenthal ~

If we are trying to push some agenda through against all odds, we may find ourselves up against a brick wall. But if our idea doesn't feel right as it starts to play out, it's possible to wiggle and move and re-direct our energy in other ways. We can explore new terrain. And in so doing, it usually doesn't take long for something perfectly right to fall into place, and our next step then becomes clear. And we know it's right because there is no strain, no fret, and no resistance to be overcome. There is only the feeling of rightness and comfort as we gather ourselves to step forth.

I pay attention and take it as a sign to change my direction if I run into a brick wall.

FLEXIBILITY

"Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape."
~Author Unknown ~

 

We make our plans with the best of intentions, but flexibility is important and necessary, because in life, we often have to reschedule things again, and again, and again.

 

I remain calm when plans change and willingly accept the new dynamic, whatever it may be.