AUTHENTIC POWER

"Put your creed into your deed."

~ R.W. Emerson ~

Authenticity is profound power- the power to inspire, encourage, comfort, and lead. Lacking pretense, we are a beacon for others: to be natural, be sincere, and be exactly who we are.
     But authenticity is more challenging than it might seem. In our modern era of success defined by materialism and egos enlarged, being authentic requires great courage. Nonetheless, for the risk it takes, the reward is tenfold.

I boldly share my authentic self with the world.

LANE ENDS, MERGE LEFT

"Natives who beat drums to drive off evil spirits are objects of scorn to smart Americans who blow horns to break up traffic jams."

~ Mary Ellen Kelly ~

A road construction bumper-to-bumper traffic jam is a bitter pill to swallow. And yet, it happens.
     I find I can be patient for so long, and then my hamstring starts to lock up and I get restless and impatient and feel like enough is enough and get me out of here. But there's no getting out. There's only getting through. Isn't that always the way?

I accept that life has construction zones, and sometimes I am forced to slow down.

CONSIDERING THE RAIN

"Let the rain sing you a lullaby."

~Langston Hughes ~

Lasting rain creates its own kind of symphony: rain on the roof, rain on the windshield, road spray, wiper blades, gutters that drip. And I always find rain rather humbling as well- the way it just falls and falls and falls until it stops.
     It can be cozy or dreary depending on our outlook and what we have to do, and it can soak in or be sloppy overkill. But whatever else it might be, the rain is a gift: fresh clean water falling all over us from the sky.

I am grateful for the rain even if it interferes with my plans.

FORWARD MOTION

"Life is a commitment. You have to commit to something."

~ Vasant Patel ~

 

We are so afraid of unknown outcomes that we would often prefer to do nothing than to take a risk, even if it's a calculated one. And yet, we end up living in a kind of wish-wash that way, instead of clearly proceeding in a particular direction.

     Moving towards something gives our lives direction and purpose, and although we push off and head out, we can always re-chart our course. Nothing is absolute and there's not much that's guaranteed, but forward motion keeps us going, and gives us something to wake up for and work towards, and in this way, our commitment to progress enriches our lives.

 

I courageously move forward in life, even though I can never be entirely sure where the path may lead.

TRAVELING THE WORLD

"Change of place imparts new vigor to the mind."

~ Seneca ~

 

We don't have to travel far to have an international experience. We can go to a Chinese spa, an Indian movie, a French restaurant, and a Mexican grocery store, and each of these is authentic in its own way. We get the flavor and the feeling- the language, the colors, and the foreign point-of-view.

     I appreciate that. I love other cultures. All of the customs and attitudes fascinate me and enrich my world. So when I get a hankering to travel, I have only to seek out the right local spot, and I can get my fix and expand my world- right here... in my own backyard.

I enjoy the rich international heritage that is the modern global culture.

THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING

"Love is not consolation. It is light."

~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~

Love is the answer to every question that we have, but it doesn't translate well. It's easily misinterpreted as sex, romance, obsession, and need. But all it really is is gentle and kind, compassionate and warm, allowing, forgiving, and ever at ease.

Love is the answer. What's the question?

CRITTER COMFORT

"It is never too late to have a happy childhood."

~ Tom Robbins ~

I loved stuffed animals when I was a girl. They were my closest friends and confidants. I could tell them things and share myself with them in a way that I could not with living humans. And every once in a while, even as an adult, I come across one that warms my heart and carries me back to that original stuffed animal feeling of love, comfort, and the surety that everything is, and always will be, absolutely ok.

In the right circumstances, a stuffed animal can make a pretty good friend.

VISION

"Nature does not hurry."

~ Lao Tzu ~

Limited vision cannot be expanded without time. We see things when we see them. It's part of a natural process that can't be forced by either urging or demand.

I accept my vision as it is- better some days than others.

THE REAL STORY OF MARTYRDOM

"Using the power of decision gives you the capacity to get past any excuse to change any and every part of your life in an instant."

~Tony Robbins~

Martyrdom is a cover story for not honoring the self. We direct fury and righteousness outward, when what is needed is a bit of breathing room and self-reflection. We cannot operate on all cylinders non-stop for days on end and not pay a price for it. And it's not anyone else's fault.
     We do what we do because we choose to do it. We have to get real about that. We can change our pace, change our attitude, and change our life circumstances. The details of it all are up to us.

     So let's stop blaming others for our self-imposed hardship. Let's take ownership of our limitations and be kind to our burned-out souls.

 

Martyrdom mode is a wake-up call for greater personal stewardship.

OVER THINKING

"We spend our days in deliberating, and we end them without coming to any resolve."

~ L'Estrange ~

We can over think ourselves into stalemate and exhaustion. Too much back and forth and second guessing gets us nowhere but stuck. So when we feel ourselves going into angst and mental strain, we need to back off and ease up. We need to make room for flow and inspiration. As long as we insist on answers and demand deadlines, we cannot hope to achieve them.

I give my problems and inquiries space to breathe.

GETTING INVOLVED

"We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth."

~GB Shaw ~

If we want to feel like we are a part of something, we have to throw ourselves into it. We cannot linger on the outskirts, judge critically from the sidelines, hardly participate, and expect to feel fulfilled.
     It is our engagement in life that determines our well-being. It's up to us to step up, get involved, and care.

I actively engage in my life experiences so that I can feel like I'm part of the big picture, and not isolated and alone.

WAXING POETIC

"It is the job of poetry to clean up our word-clogged reality by creating silences around things."

~Stephen Mallarme ~

 

Hot, cold,

young, old,

fertile, bold

and incandescent.

 

Straight, bent,

heaven-sent,

mortgage, rent,

and fields of glory.

 

Bright, dark,

cardinal, lark,

cluttered, stark,

and luminescent.

 

Real deal,

take the wheel,

learn to feel,

and share your story.

 

The variety of life pleases my soul.

MOVING TOWARDS GREATNESS

"Courage is the power to let go of the familiar."

~Raymond Lindquist ~

It's exciting and scary to try new things. Anticipation amps us up. Planning, preparing, getting our ducks in a row- figuring it out... There's pleasure in all of it, and plenty of colloquial butterflies in the stomach at the same time.

I enjoy the swirling emotions of new ventures, and relish the process every step of the way.

THE THINGS WE TELL OURSELVES

"If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise."

~Johann von Goethe ~

 

For the most part, our insecurities are self-imposed. We think ourselves into smallness and separation and make excuses for all of the reasons that we are not liked, not appreciated, and not enough. The good news is that we can build confidence in ourselves the same way. All we need is a bit of self-directed compassion and encouragement.

     We are good souls doing the best we can with the information and experience that we have, and blessings abound. This is certainly as true, if not more so, than the negative mindset that we tend to wear instead. Undraped, we are glorious and full of light.

 

I embrace the goodness in me instead of the insecurity.

 

LIFE'S DAILY FARE

"What gets measured gets managed."

~ Peter Drucker ~

Not knowing the future feels like a burden sometimes. How can we make plans if we don't know? How can we adequately prepare ourselves? We can't and therein lies the blessing.
     We live our lives piecemeal, one day at a time, and that's what makes them digestible. The way our experiences are served to us makes them a gourmet feast instead of an all-you-can-eat buffet.

I welcome the tastes of the day.

THE BASICS

"I was right not to be afraid of any thief but myself, who will end by leaving me nothing."

~ Katherine Anne Porter ~

Running on empty and strung out from a lack of sleep makes us less than optimally productive and pleasant to be around. We need our sleep, sustenance, and restoration. Let's stop abandoning ourselves and insist upon our own good care.

I eat regularly, move daily, and get enough sleep.

MOTHER NATURE

"For I have learned to look on Nature not as in the hour of thoughtless youth, but hearing oftentimes the still, sad music of humanity..."

~William Wordsworth ~

If we are observant, we can see all of the drama and resolve of our daily lives play out in Nature- in storms and seasons and the pecking order of hens. We can watch a brook slip merrily along over pebbles and around branches and stones, and then get stuck in pools of congested leaves and a back-up of sticks. Birds have to work with and not against the wind. Sun shines and then is covered by clouds, and leaves fall only to bud again.

I learn about myself by watching patterns and happenings in Nature. 

KEEPING FAITH

"Faith is the bird that sings to the dawn while it is still dark."

~ Tagore ~

 

Sometimes it seems like we will never get to where we're going; like the pain won't end, the ship won't sail, and we can't possibly figure out whatever it is we're trying to figure out. And yet, we do, and it does, and truth is always revealed to us at exactly the right time.

 

I trust the journey of my life.

 

THINGS HAVE A WAY OF WORKING OUT

"Confidence is born of experience."

~Paul Ferrini ~

I am grateful to be older and wiser than I used to be. My historical hard-headedness and intensity were difficult to live with. They urged me into things with frantic panic and the belief that I knew more than I actually did. I ran my life on catastrophic thinking.
     And though I can still be intense and hard-headed at times, it's no longer my ruling principle. I have learned how to be patient, and how to better trust time.

I stay calm no matter what, and understand about resolution and the next right thing.

RELEASING CONTROL

"Acceptance is the answer to all of my problems today."

~ Anonymous~

Accepting our inability to control other people and outcomes is a relief. The burden of worry is lessened as we surrender our position to the unknown and the yet to be created. There is freedom in acceptance, and space is opened for blessings and possibility.

When I can stop forcing my agenda on all the things I can't control, I am relieved of stress, conflict, worry, and despair.

REMAINING CALM

"(Be) like an open door providing a kind of cross ventilation so that the air of divinity can move through you."

~ Gurudev Shree Chitrabhanu ~

Life has been unusually challenging lately, but rather than freak out and feel excruciating tension and strain from worry and fret, I have had a kind of inner steadiness and calm. I can't quite explain it, and it would likely be difficult, if not impossible, to recreate, but I rest in the blessing of it and feel deeply grateful. Life can be supportive, creative, and beautiful in spite of my struggles.

I appreciate the grace of inner peace, wherever and whenever it occurs.

FEELING STUCK

"Each of us is something of a schizophrenic personality, tragically divided against ourselves."

~Martin Luther King Jr.

I have recently come through a bought of self-doubting and self-pity; feeling overwhelmed by life, and all of the courage that each day requires. But the problem with self-pity is that it can't move me forward. All it can do is stick me in the muck where there's no vision and no inspiration.

     Eventually, I just have to move forward in spite of my doubts, and allow the movement itself to sustain me until I am in the flow of hope and goodness yet again.

 

I allow for periods of self-pity, but don't over-indulge it. What helps me most is getting back on track.