A DEEP BREATH

"It's ok to be who you are."

~ Ann Kite ~

It's ok to be who we are.

It's ok.

HERE AND GONE

"Variety is the spice of life."

~ American Proverb ~

Everything changes.

That's the only sure thing.

I roll with the currents of rising and falling tides. 

WHEN LIFE IS GOOD

"May you have warm words on a cool evening, a full moon on a dark night, and a smooth road all the way to your door."

~ Irish Toast ~

Let's be grateful

And joyful

And giddy even, if that seems appropriate,

And fully, exuberantly. 

ALIVE!

I recognize and celebrate my blessings!

TRIGGERS AND EFFORT

"It's a desperately vexatious thing that, after all one's reflections and quiet determinations, we should be ruled by moods that one can't calculate beforehand."

~ George Eliot ~

Emotions rise and fall and twist and detour and slam and burn and sizzle and fade.

The daily journey is a land mine of triggers and effort.

And all we can do

Is navigate consciously

And show up,

And breathe.

I am aware of and respect the undertow of daily emotions and don't get pulled into its grasp. 

PROCESSING WHAT HAS BEEN

"Let us fly from the past on the wings of faith."

~ James Lendall Basford ~

In order to step through a doorway into a new life, we have to pack up the past, both literally and figuratively. It's dusty and full of cobwebs, mold, and memories. We have to clean it and sort it, and throw some of it out. Before we can properly welcome what's to come, we have to let go of what has been, and that takes time and space, and a certain self-compassion.
     And then we can step forth, knowing where we've been- all the ups and downs- and arriving at the threshold bright-eyed, and clear; forgiven, and fresh, and ready for the next chapter.

I take care of the past so it doesn't haunt me. 

MOVING AGAIN

"Trust is letting go of needing to know all the details before you open your heart."

~ Author Unknown ~

We are moving again, and I have discovered in this move that I seem to have a fair bit of uncomfortable emotional baggage around the packing and boxed-up process. I have done it so many times, not all of the moves have played out well, and some have been downright difficult. So I find that's all stuck in me from the past making me mis-emotional and dark-feeling, and I'd like to create a new possibility- the possibility of being excited and maybe even giddy about the opportunity to live in a beautiful house that is gracious and spacious and surrounded by epic trees- where I can be who I am, put down roots, and relax into a new way of experiencing what it is to be home.

I thank God for entrusting us with the responsibilities and blessings of Sweet Iron Farm. 

   

THE BEAT

"The very central essence of us is song."

~ Thomas Carlyle ~

In any rhythm there are multiple beats. Among other possibilities, there's the main beat, the fast beat, the slow beat, the off beat, and the esoteric flowing through and around the melody kind of beat. And if we're moving to the music, we can pick and choose which one moves us- the one we resonate with, and the one that grabs our attention, or soothes us, or energizes us, or whatever the case may be. Point being: we have choices. Isn't it the same with every element and happening of our life? 

I choose the pace and flow and rhythm of my days. 

THE LONG ROAD

"He conquers who endures."

~ Persius ~

Take action toward something you want.

Do what it takes. 

Stay encouraged.

Persevere.

And trust that it will all turn out exactly as it should,

Or maybe,

 even better.

I keep on keeping on. 

BUTTING HEADS

"In each generation the human mind... reverts to its starting point; 
each new man is a primitive man."

~ Alexandre Vinet ~

I recently witnessed two male sheep butting heads. They ran straight for each other and made direct, hard, horn-cracking contact, then retreated several steps and did it again, and again, and again. Eventually, one of them buckled a bit and moved off sideways instead of straight back, and it was over.
     This sort of pecking order is established routinely in the animal kingdom, so there must be some evolutionary basis for it, and, though maybe less directly, and whether we like it or not, the same phenomenon must play out on some level in the human realm as well.

I accept that as human beings, we are at least somewhat subject to our animal instincts. 

1,2,3 GO

"The shortest answer is doing."

~ Lord Herbert ~

Anticipating doing something is so often worse than actually doing it. 

Once we get in motion, 

the motion itself propels us and we make progress. 

Sometimes we get hung up with unexpected challenges, 

but overcoming them is its own kind of 

sweet reward.

When there are things that need doing, I take a deep breath and begin.  

DOING OUR BEST

"A small man can be just as exhausted as a great man."

~ Arthur Miller ~

We are often quick to idealize the good qualities we witness in others and hold them in high regard, only to realize, 

inevitably, 

that, 

like the rest of us, 

they are imperfect, 

not entirely reliable, 

and prone to error. 

And perhaps we feel let down by this, 

but perhaps we shouldn't. 

Generally speaking, 

imperfect though we may be, 

most of us are doing the best we can.

Before I judge others too harshly, I look at myself. 

THORNS TO NUBS

"Be on the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of your life it may occur."

~ Muriel Spark ~

I was clearing brush the other day and observed that a certain type of tree had long sharp thorns when it was young, which turned to nubs once it reached full maturity. Perhaps, like these trees, we need fewer defenses as we age because we are better rooted, more solid in structure, and command a higher view.

Once we grow up, we lose the need to be so sharp and prickly.

LEARNING TO DANCE

"Dancing faces you towards Heaven, whichever direction you turn."

~ Terri Guillemets ~

Much as we might try for security and stability, transitions of all kinds are constantly happening. Learning to dance with the emerging and the departing and the unknown soothes us as we make our way through the seasons, and gives us flexibility and trust that we wouldn't otherwise have.

I bend and flow with the rhythm of life. 

ALONE TIME

"I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude."

~ HD Thoreau ~

There is something necessary and healing about uninterrupted solitude. It gives us the space we need to explore our inner landscape and discover what's there, allows us to be 100% free from other people's needs, and makes it possible to simply and authentically go about things exactly as we please.

I make space for me. 

NOTHING BACK THERE

"This is the moment you can choose to make everything new."

~ Author Unknown ~

Sometimes I feel haunted by my past. Memories like fog linger and lurk around the sun of the moment. Feelings that I felt, things I may have said, people who populated my life in the distant land of yesterday crowd my mind in a kind of haze and keep me from being where I am... when where I am is where I want to be. It's clean and unclouded, untroubled, quiet, and fully alive.

I leave the past alone. 

HOW WE BEHAVE

"Life is a compromise of what your ego wants to do, what experience tells you to do, and what your nerves let you do."

~ Bruce Crampton ~

Understanding how my ego likes to act out frees me from being at its mercy.

Awareness gives me power.

How I behave from moment to moment is my responsibility when I'm conscious,

and my curse when I am not.

I act with clear intention. 

FREE FROM AGENDA

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion."

~ Dalai Lama ~

Compassion is free from agenda, aggression, and demand of any kind. 

It is simply open and generous.

It sees with love.

It knows what it's like to be human,

And it's empathetic and kind. 

Compassion is big enough to hold all the love in the universe. 

PEOPLE AS PLANTS

"Gardens are a form of autobiography."

~ Sydney Eddison ~

Each plant has a growing "habit". Some grow in mounds, some in shoots, and some in colonies- some creep, some climb, some are massively tall and some are low to the ground. It depends on the plant, and considering the way they grow makes sense in terms of their placement in the garden.

     Perhaps, though slightly less obvious, it's the same with us. 

We grow how we grow. 

THE BASICS

"Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease."

~ Hippocrates ~

Being hungry increases impatience, and being tired increases physical pain.

That we eat and sleep in appropriate measure
are two easy fixes in a demanding world;

So simple,
and yet,
so frequently forgotten.

I eat at regular intervals and allow for enough sleep to feel my best. 

PEACE

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

~ Ghandi ~

Aggression begets aggression, 

so belligerence of any kind, 

even for a "good cause" 

results in increased belligerent energy. 

If we want peace, 

we must learn 

to be peaceful 

with others 

and within ourselves.

Nothing is so important that I need to loose my cool. 

THE 4TH OF JULY!

"Liberty is the breath of life..."

~ George Bernard Shaw ~

It's the 4th of July again- the height of heat and summer- the blasting of fireworks, the sparkle of sparklers, the gathering for picnics- flags flying, corn on the cob. It's festive and fun... in theory, though it doesn't always play out that way.
     What's important to remember is the why of it and what we're really celebrating- our freedom, which is so easy to take for granted, and without which we would be limited and pinched.

I am grateful for my freedom!

JUST FOR US

"Wellness is the art of healing before you're sick."

~ Terri Guillemets ~

We all need personal space and some kind of time to ourselves for optimal well-being. Otherwise, we get so crowded physically and mentally that there is no room for insight or inspiration. This fact is often missed in early relationships when couples want to spend every waking moment together, but it's critical really. Without it, we suffocate and suffer. Point being, if it's not offered up to us by others, we need to claim it for ourselves.

I assert my need for time and space. 

ALLOWING FOR IMPERFECTION

"Somehow our devils are never quite what we expect when we meet them face to face."

~ Nelson DeMille ~

Spewing negative judgments onto other people and into the world is a dismal exercise. It generates defensiveness and darkness and gets us nothing worth having. We're far from perfect ourselves, so why not allow for the human-ness in others and spread compassion instead? It feels better and opens us to the energy of love.

I catch myself being negative about others and stop.