MOVEMENT AND STILLNESS

"Adopt the pace of Nature." 

~ RW Emerson ~

There are times to rest and retreat and times to move energetically forward. 

Our lives are inspired by rhythms and cycles.

Learning to honor and allow for both flow and stillness is helpful.

Pushing non-stop against whatever we're facing robs us of our instinctual bliss. 

I strive and reflect in natural balance. 

THE ROOTS OF SERENITY

"Let the waters settle and you will see the moon and the stars mirrored in your own being." 

~ Rumi ~

We live in a tense and stressed-out world where overthinking and overdoing tend to be the norm, and a kind of nervous anxiety reigns supreme. Nonetheless, it's possible to learn how to be steady and grounded on the inside, and solid no matter what's whirring around us, and doing so is our responsibility, and our gateway to joy.
     Inner peace is the result of vigilance, not carelessness, and serenity comes from diligently attending to what is. 

I am a grounded force in a chaotic world. 

THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF LIFE

"To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else." 

~ Emily Dickinson ~

Life is unpredictably grand.

It's rarely what I expect it to be, and yet, there is sense to it somehow, in spite of what may feel at times like a letdown or defeat.

I keep waking up in the morning, curious, never knowing what's going to turn up, or not.

I keep my eyes open and enjoy the changing view. 

Mastering Mindfulness Online Workshop March 24th

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

"Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play."

~ Henri Matisse ~

We limit ourselves by thinking our lives have to look a certain way or be a certain way. We shut down options and possibilities without so much as a passing glance, and remain utterly blind to anything and everything except the fixed idea we have formed in our mind's eye.
     Let's shift this dynamic and allow for adventure. Let's be willing to think outside of the box, and  explore what we may not have even considered, and be bold in moving forward into the uncertain and the unknown.

I am excited not knowing how my life could turn out.

The March 24th Mastering Mindfulness Online Workshop

MODERN LIFE

"Nothing is worth more than this day." 

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~

Modern life has so many moving pieces. We are constantly challenged to juggle work and life and a myriad of emails and texts and daily responsibilities. We have become masters of processing information rapidly and efficiently.
     And where does that leave us? Are we a bit overwhelmed by it, or are we able to find pleasure in the process of each thing?

I am fully present to appreciate the elegant details of each moment of my day.

 😊 MASTERING MINDFULNESS ONLINE WORKSHOP 😊
From Frazzle to Focus :)
Release Tension, Enjoy Life, and Get More Done!
March 24th, 1:00 to 3:30pm EST

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

THINGS WORKING OUT

"We have to live today by what truth we can get today and be ready tomorrow to call it falsehood." 

~ William James ~

Things have a way of working out, even against all odds. And though they may not play out as anticipated or hoped, whatever ends up happening somehow connects itself, makes sense, and seems "right." Over and over in life this is the way, and yet, we doubt the possibility of it every time. We grab onto fear and hold it with all of our might. We try to fix things in advance, to guarantee outcomes, and to avoid loss at all costs. And there is great effort in all of this.
     Let's relax, and trust, and allow the universe to carry us instead. Let's stop fretting and gnawing at our problems and realize that they may not, in fact, actually be problems. Let's be open to whatever may come, and free ourselves from concern.

I trust the outcome, whatever it may be.

A NEW VIEW

"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot, hang on, and swing!" 

~ Leo Busgaglia ~

When it seems like it's time to give up, to walk away, to be done with the frustration of intense effort in a non-stop direction, that's usually when something unexpected comes along to freshen things up, to shine a light, and generate new energy. It's a opening- a crack in the door that seemed utterly shut- and I'm grateful for it every time it happens.

I thank God for continuously moving currents!

OLD FRIENDS IN A NEW TIME

"A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails."

~ Donna Roberts ~

Meeting an old friend in new time is a curious and glorious experience, especially when it's been years since we've met. We have aged, and yet, in some way, nothing has changed. The essence of who we are remains, and is anchored in each other somehow- in the reflection of our smiles, the shared experience of the past, and the bond that grounds us in a connection that lives beyond time. 

I am blessed and supported by the bond of true friendship

OVERTHINKING

"No matter where you go or what you do, you live your entire life within the confines of your head." 

~ Terry Josephson ~

With our minds we can make anything mean anything. Through judgment, criticism, or at the other end of the spectrum, through idealization and fantasy, we create our world, for good or ill. We can manufacture a whole scenario with all kinds of reasons why we should feel badly, and so we feel badly, or feel great excitement, and so we feel that.
     But what if we could suspend our attachment to thinking and judging and fantasizing, for even a brief moment. Wouldn't that make us free?

I watch my thoughts, and experience the joy of letting go of my attachment to them. 

Mastering Mindfulness Online Workshop
From Frazzle to Focus
Release Tension, Enjoy Life, and Get More Done
March 24th, 1-3pm EST

Click HERE for more information

CLEARING THE MIND

"An inability to stay quiet is one of the most conspicuous failings of mankind." 

~ Walter Bagehot ~

It's a challenge to enjoy life when we are overthinking everything, when we are trying to figure it all out in review or in advance. Our noisy minds block us and deter us from experiencing joy in whatever may or may not be happening, and life becomes blurred and distorted by our endlessly running internal narrative.
     Let's learn to be mindful. It's not complicated, though it does require our attention. We're worth it, and so is the glorious experience of our life!

I become present and experience joy!

ACCESS TO RELIEF

"On even the most stressful days, magic is still sitting quietly in the corner, waiting to be noticed."

~ Dr. SunWolf ~

Tension in life is emotionally and physically crippling. It binds us up in knots. It makes us rigid and sore and unbending. It thrusts us into conflict with those with whom we interact.
     And even though we may not feel as if we have the power to release it, we do. Access to relief is available to us anytime and anywhere, as soon as we step up to claim it.

I am aware of building tension and know how to let go. 

CELEBRATING LOVE!

"Take away love and our earth is a tomb." 

~ Robert Browning ~

I'm glad we have a holiday specifically dedicated to love - complete with red hearts, fresh flowers and chocolate! What could be better? And we don't have to have some intimate other to celebrate. We can celebrate the love we have for our family, our friends, and ourselves. Valentine's Day is simply a time to indulge in sensuous things, and in the richness of a warm feeling of connectedness with others.
   

I am present and grateful for the experience of love in my life!

❤️



MASTERING MINDFULNESS ONLINE WORKSHOP
From Frazzle to Focus
Release Tension, Enjoy Life, and Get More Done
March 24th, 1-3:30pm EST
Click HERE for more information and/or to register

😊

FROM FRAZZLE TO FOCUS

"Mindfulness... changes the heart's capacity to accept life as it is." 

~ Sylvia Boorstein ~

How can we shift consciously from frazzle to focus? How can we free ourselves from the tyranny of our ceaseless thoughts? These may be some of the most important questions we can ask ourselves, for without understanding the answer, without having tools at our disposal to quiet our minds, we are prisoners as surely as if we were behind bars.

I master mindfulness and enjoy my life. 

PEOPLE LIKE US

"People like us do things like this." 

~ Seth Godin ~

This Daily Blog is an exchange sure as any conversation between family or friends. I offer my observations and experience, and you receive them with grace. Thank you for that! Thank you for being who you are and caring about the things you care about! Together, we make the world a better place!!
     This blog has been around for over seven years now, persistent, consistent, and on track. A book has come out of it, and an award, and thousands of followers. And you are special and unique among them!
     It's time to level up. I've been dancing around this idea for a long time, and now it's time to take the step for real. I invite us now to meet each other in a new way, in real time, in a video format online, to exchange ideas and learn from each other in the moment, in the spoken word, and with our facial expressions and our eyes. It's not for everyone, but perhaps it's for you. Click HERE to find out how.

I welcome ever-deeper connection with the people out there like me.

   

SWEET SILENCE

"It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us." 

~ K.T. Jong ~

There is so much peace in silence, so much restoration and calm. When I was younger, I could never understand how anyone would choose not to play music, but I get it now. Silence gives us access to sounds and feelings we cannot know when we are continuously surrounded by noise.

I make time for the open space of silence.

WHAT'S WEALTH?

"When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into my heart."

~ John Wesley ~

Where does wealth really come from? Is it the result of effort, or luck, or good planning? Is it the manifestation of intelligence and persistence? Is it something we earn? Or is it already there, accessible to everyone, in the blessing of being alive?
     Perhaps it can be any of these things, or all of them. Perhaps, in the end, the true essence of wealth is in how we relate to it, and how we feel about it intuitively, and whatever we choose.

I am a victim of nothing and I choose to experience wealth.

EMOTIONAL CURRENTS

"Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened... 

Let the beauty we love be what we do." 

~ Rumi ~

Energy is such a fleeting thing the way it comes and goes and shifts and flows. We move almost seemlessly from high intensity to exhaustion, from excitement to dread, and from curiosity to despair. As our emotional tides ebb and flow, sometimes all we can do is ride the current and stay afloat.
     The good news is that nothing we're feeling will linger too long. Feelings arrive, and want to take us over, and then they move on. And if we pay attention, we can observe them, and dance with them, and open ourselves endlessly to the lessons they have to teach.

I surf the waves of my daily emotions.

WHAT'S SO

"The great truth has great silence." 

~ R. Tagore ~

It's easy to get caught up in too much to do, in not enough time, not enough money, not enough love.  But all that's a story we tell ourselves. It's not really true. Comparisons and measurements of this kind are less than helpful. There is neither not enough nor too much. There is only the simple truth of what is.

I understand the truth that THIS IS IT. 

LEARNING TO STEP BACK

"All art requires courage." 

~ Anne Tucker ~

Every so often when creating art, we need to step back. A bit of distance gives us insight and helps us understand the big picture. Looking at the broad view, we can plan our next step.
     If we insist on the details and work fervently up close, we have lost something- the opportunity to to proceed with the big picture in mind, the pleasure of the developing process, and the acknowledgement of the piece of our creation that emerges by grace.

I accept the stages of creation and step back every so often to have a look. 

THE WONDER OF THE INTERNET

"Every hour is grace." 

~ Elie Wiesel ~

It's phenomenal how connected we are, and how accessible we can be to one another if we choose to be. In an instant, we can have a conversation with someone on the other side of the world. And rather than live in awe of that fact, we pretty much take it for granted, and feel perfectly entitled to have a little tantrum if our connectivity is ever temporarily slowed down.

I appreciate the marvel of the world wide web.