SUITING UP

"At this season Nature makes the most of every throb of life that can withstand her severity." 

~ John Buroughs ~

I'm rather a Nordic creature by nature and I love the cold, winter air. It feels like food to me and nurtures my soul- fresh on my face, awakening, invigorating, and stinging in just the right kind of way. But it requires the right clothing. There's not much worse than paltry jackets to face a stiff February breeze, but goose down and wool and scarves around the ears are just the thing. Cozy and supportive, they make it possible to enjoy whatever Mother Nature serves up.

I welcome the weather whatever it is, and make sure I dress accordingly.

THE DIRECTION WE CHOOSE

"Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow?" 

~ Mother Goose ~

Most of the time, we don't even know that we are growing, but we are. We're growing in one direction or another because nothing living is stagnant. We're either growing wiser, or becoming more and more blocked to wisdom; growing in our ability to love and be loved, or hardening our hearts; growing healthier or becoming ever more dis-eased.
     It's worth considering where we are in our individual process, and if we want to maybe take some steps to change the direction of our path.

I pay attention to my spiritual journey and make sure I'm moving toward the light and not away from it.

FAIR WEATHER TRAVELS

"Weather is a great metaphor for life." 

~ Terri Guillemets ~

I am grateful when it doesn't rain for my long commute to and from work. I don't mind walking in the rain, but driving in it always feels a little risky and sketchy with the unpredictable wetness, the wipers, the road-spray, and the decreased visibility.

     So when it's not raining, I take note of it, pause for a moment, and say, "Thanks!"

It's so much easier to drive when the roads are dry and the sky is clear.

LIFE AS IT IS

"Nice up yo'self inna de riddim of life." 

~Third World ~

I am good at creating a sense of frantic panic in my head, and I imagine that things are far more out of control than they really are. Life proceeds in a steady and sustainable way in spite of my imposing sense of urgency. Time is whatever I allow it to be- organic, cyclical, and beautiful, or pressurized and highly intense.
     When I stop, or when life stops me, I am sometimes able to be grateful for things exactly as they are, and sometimes feel that all is getting away from me. But the drama is inside my head. That's the bottom line. In the Natural world, days proceed on track, and nights follow, on track, and the seasons carry us round and round in rhythm and process and graceful, natural flow.

I align myself with the natural rhythm of life and stop trying to speed everything up, or slow it down to suit my petty needs. 

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

"Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are." 

~ Arthur Golden ~

We all have our time in the barrel. Suffering is a real fact of the human condition. At this exact moment, each of us reading this post knows of someone who is in pain, near death, facing some kind of challenging physical condition, or is experiencing one of these things personally.
     The answer to this reality comes through understanding, and the willingness to share what we're going through, so that we can be supported by others who have gone before us, and lead those who are coming along behind. We can get through anything together. This is the path of tranquility and grace, and this is the path of love.

Suffering is meant to be shared so that we can help each other carry the load.

SELF-CONSUMPTION

"It is no use casting out devils. They belong to us, we must accept them and be at peace with them." 
~ DH Lawrence ~

When I am self-consumed, compassion for others becomes a low priority. I lose my sensitivity and kindness and fill up with resentment and blame. And then, recklessly, and unconsciously, I spew my righteousness like a boiling-over pot of pasta making a mess all over the stove top.
     At some point or other, I always come around, but there is wreckage in my wake, and a deep sadness and regret in my soul.

When I feel myself feeling sorry for myself and irritable on the inside, I stop everything and regroup before I interact with others so that I can avoid hurt on all sides.

NEW DAY: FRESH START

"Prejudice is weighing the facts with your thumb on the scales." 

~ Alex Dreier ~

I don't necessarily agree that the best predictor of future outcomes is the history of past performance. If we are constantly evolving, then things change. We change.
     The world ceaselessly wants to judge us by how we used to be, and they react accordingly, often in advance, but perhaps we're really not that person anymore. We have the knowledge and wisdom of our experience to gently turn us away from distress and dysfunction and guide us toward the light.
     So let's allow each day to really be a fresh start and stop slapping all of our fears from the past upon it like mud on a windshield or a pair of glasses that no longer help us to see.

I free myself from preconceptions and let the past be past.