TIME

"Wrinkles indicate where the smiles have been."

~ Mark Twain ~

Old skin.

New wrinkles.

Life happens and it

leaves its trail

on our faces.

Like a pair of shoes, my body shows its wear. 

LOVING WHAT IS

"Resistance is futile."

~ Star Trek ~

It amazes me how quickly and unconsciously I enter a state of resistance- to circumstances, to people, to the way I feel. And then I'm tense and unhappy and I know not why, until I look, and see that I want things to be other than they are.
     If I want to experience life satisfaction, I have to deal with reality exactly as it is.

I accept the things I cannot change. 

HOW DOES IT MAKE US FEEL?

"Trust your hunches."

~ Joyce Brothers ~

If the idea of something excites us, scares us, or drags us down, that's a pretty good indicator. 

Maybe we should pay attention.

I listen to the calling of my soul.

BUILDING NESTS

"Hummingbird nests are wonders of beauty, delicacy, and architecture- plant down and dried flower petals held together with silvery spider's web, exquisitely decorated with greyish-white lichens."

~ Royal Dixon ~

When a bird builds a nest, it flies out into the broad world to gather twigs and string, and whatever it can find to make its home secure and cozy; and then there's an art to putting it all together. No two nests are the same. And isn't it like that for us as well?

I gather things that catch my eye and bring them home. 

WHAT GOES AROUND

"Take care of yourself so you can take care of others."
~ Dad ~~

Nothing I do is for myself only.

When I serve my spirit

I make it possible

for my spirit

to serve the world.

I am part of something bigger than the limits of my skin.

PART OF THE WHOLE

"I nod to a passing stranger, and the stranger nods back, and two humans go off,  feeling a little less anonymous."

~ Robert Brault 

Anytime we feel lonely we can reach out to others- online, in person, through meetup, over the phone. Our options are endless. We can step into life whenever we need to, whenever we're ready, and whenever unwanted feelings of isolation exert their pull.

I am not alone. 

EFFERVESCENCE

"Pleasure is spread through the earth."

~ William Wordsworth ~

Some mornings we wake up and the day dawns bright. 

Our energy is effervescent and it feels just right to be who we are. 

These are good days. 

Not that the others aren't also, 

in their way, 

but there's something particularly glorious 

about those hours

in particular

when our spirit is filled with light.

I gratefully experience joy!

TOUCH BUTTONS

"Easy does it."

~ Bill Wilson ~

We have a new dryer with touch buttons, and I couldn't get it to work at first because I was pushing too hard. It's very sensitive, and responds readily to a light touch. And so, it made me wonder, where else in my life might I be pushing too hard?

Sometimes strength is called for and sometimes it's not. 

THE EBB AND FLOW

"It takes a long time to grow an old friend."

~ John Leonard ~

Some things maintain their importance or become more important to us over time, 

and others do not. 

And perhaps the same could be said about people in our lives as well. 

Many relationships have a shelf life just like pop songs or objects d'art. 

My affection comes and goes. 

STILLNESS

"When the mind is quiet the soul will speak."

~ Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati ~

I tend to be active and busy and productive. The "go mode" is my most common gear, and I'm quite sure I'm not alone in that.  So when moments of complete surrender to stillness come, I feel profound gratitude for them. What a blessing to be internally quiet and peaceful,  without any kind of agenda or guilt.

I am nurtured by moments of peace. 

TRIAL AND ERROR

"It has done me good to be somewhat parched by the heat and drenched by the rain of life."

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~

Things evolve in life by trial and error. 

There is no straight path to wherever it is that we're going.

We push off, hit an obstacle,

And are re-directed

Again

and

Again.

And we never end up arriving anywhere

Unless it's the grave.

Living life is 

One thing

After 

Another thing

After

Another.

I take my challenges in stride and accept them as part of the evolutionary journey.

ROUND AND ROUND

"O God, I pray that not too much of calm be mine, but one day let the maddened rush of waters break against my soul."

~ Muriel Strode ~

I like things in order: folded laundry, a clean desk, a clean sink, beds made, floors swept; but that's only one energy of life. Another is food and glasses spread all over the table for a family meal, messy beds from naps and lovemaking, mud from outdoor adventures, dog hair from the dog, bills unopened in envelopes in a mail pile, and pillows on the sofa all this way and that from movie watching. And if I'm honest, I like these things too. The one thing makes no sense and gives no pleasure without the other.

I honor and celebrate the full cycles of life. 

MAKING FRIENDS

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

~ Donna Roberts ~

I've been caught in the "point-of-arrival" trap, wanting to get to the time and the place where our new house feels like a comfortable old shoe. Longing after the future like that though, I am missing the glory of the empty, evolving, echoing space- half done, and rich with possibility. 

    I can settle in to each moment. I don't have to wait until everything is just where and how we want it. The newness of the house and it's features and characteristics and shifting light is exciting, and curious and much like the beginning of a solid friendship. It takes time, and commitment, and multiple encounters, and a willingness to share it all.

I show up for the process. 

OUR SHIFTING EFFECTIVENESS

"Why do I sometimes let my emotions get the better of me? 

For the same reason I let it rain last Tuesday."

~ Robert Brault ~

Sometimes the best we can is awesome, and sometimes it's not so much.

Our effectiveness shifts like the wind.

Some decisions are spot on, 

and some only seem that way, 

until later

When we wonder what we were thinking.

Everything has its place in the current of life. 

I do what I can with what I have and save room in the day for forgiveness.

ASKING FOR HELP

"Many hands make light work."

~ John Heywood ~

We hesitate to ask for help, and yet, there is a magical kind of spiritual principle that diminishes our obstacle, whatever it may be, when we invite others to face it with us. Then they too become invested in our getting wherever we're going, and our journey is seriously empowered by the team effort, which is a far happier situation, seems to me, than struggling along all on our own.

I engage with others, and graciously accept their help as I travel the difficult road. 

WHICH IS WHICH

"Happiness is an occasional brief glance into how simple it all can be,"

~ Robert Brault ~

Some things turn out to be far more complicated than initially anticipated, and some things turn out to be far simpler. And understanding which is which is a key distinction. More often than not we confuse one for the other.

I keep the simple things simple.

FLOWERS!

"Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~ 

I love flowers!

They brighten the world,

and my spirit,

and any and every space they occupy.

I notice and appreciate all the flowers of the world... including weeds! 

CLOUDED IN

"Intuition is a spiritual faculty and does not explain, but simply points the way."

~ Florence Scovel Shinn ~

We doubt ourselves to our own detriment.

We are clear, and then second guess, and second guess again.

We muddy the waters of our simple vision

Until we are so murky that we have no vision at all.

And it takes work to find the path forward,

And we are the ones who shrouded the road.

I trust my God given gifts. 

THE NUDGE

"Dare to be true."

~ George Herbert ~

There are times when it may not be a bad thing that we can't let something go. Perhaps it sticks with us because we need to look honestly at a situation in our life we've been trying to ignore, or it may be just the nudge we need to see a Doctor. Honesty gives us power, because when we're dealing with reality, we have the ability to affect change.

When I can't let something go, I take a closer look. 

STOPPED IN OUR TRACKS

"Certainly! It might have been so; only it isn't."

~ Martin H. Fischer ~

We have limits, and so does life. 

Accepting them can be frustrating, and sometimes, it's a relief. 

But whether we accept them or not, eventually, they will stop us in our tracks.

And we will have to stay stopped for a bit- 

even if everything isn't finished- 

because the limit has been met- 

the day's allowance of energy, or time, or money has been spent.

And the coffer has to fill up again, and likely, so do we.

I accept my limitations.

BALANCE BEAM

"He who makes a paradise of his bread makes a hell of his hunger."

~ Antonio Porchia ~

We moved five days ago, and ever since, I've been in an altered kind of reality- unpacking, and unpacking, and unpacking. My world has been boxes and discovery and new vision, and it's been so fun I haven't wanted to stop for walks or sleep or anything.... but the day of reckoning always comes, and, perhaps predictably, I did hit my metaphorical wall. Like too much rich food, though it's delicious at the time, we generally pay a price for our indulgence. And so have I.
     The answer to the problem? Get back on track. Sleep, eat well, and practice the Art of Good Habits.

When I fall off the beam, I climb back up.