Alone,
it rested
below the fresh
and blossoming
bouquet,
forgotten,
dropped.
As if it’s work was done,
the petal fell,
tired,
heavy,
worn.
It left the collective
where it had so faithfully held on,
believing that its beauty lay
in its contribution.
It could hold on no more.
It had to drop away.
It had to pull apart.
In its moment of letting go
and seeming it was done,
that petal
became
its most beautiful
version
of itself.
Learning to step
without overstepping,
or stepping back.
Learning to care
without caring
about results.
Learning to feel
with feeling
instead of thought.
Learning to differentiate
between true joy
and fleeting excitement.
Cultivating peace
over emptiness
in the stillness.
Learning that love
is a state of being.
I can no more be in or out of love
than I can be in or out of my body,
or my breath.
Love is not something temporary,
to be chased,
or clung to.
Love is the essence of freedom,
self expression, and connection.
Love is a state of being
that allows all else to exist.
Grounded in lightness.
Free to expand.
Confident in choice.
Clear in direction.
Comfort in stillness.
Peace in the quiet.
Steady in heart.
Safe in this breath.
Recognizing without conforming.
Allowing without absorbing.
Flowing effortlessly between the inner and outer world.
Uniquely connected.
Discerning without differentiating.
Stepping out of the rigid container of familiar and safe
to freely exercise vulnerability and authenticity.
Curious.
Open to the new and opposing.
Existing within this thin permeable membrane.
Maintaining sense of self.
Living deeply and authentically.
I’m not always going to get my way,
but I’m always going to get what’s right for me.
When I let go of forcing outcomes,
stop relying on others for my happiness,
and see obstacles not as a sign of my worth but of my courage and strength,
even what seems like a paralyzing blockage
can be an invitation to take a different path,
go a different way,
or sit right where I am for a moment
and reflect
on the beauty,
awe,
and opportunity
that exists right here,
right now,
just the way things are.
Much gratitude to Shari Irby for contributing this photo.
Releasing control.
Trusting me.
Allowing joy.
Presence
leading to
clarity.
Clarity
leading to
peace.
Slowing down
to launch forward.
Stepping into my light.
Blustery cold takes my breath away.
Frozen, alone, confined to the space of myself.
Sharing my dreams with the walls, longing for the door to open.
Holding on to hope.
Awaiting that precious moment when fingers thaw and
hearts warm.
when the wind carries through the windows the fresh scent of renewal.
Expanding into the sun,
into my knowing
my power,
my love,
Into the garden of
wholeness
where I find myself
shedding the cold confinement,
ready to dance,
Bursting with excitement.
Tempted by fear.
To hold back.
To bring less of my
intelligence,
beauty,
creativity,
power
so as not to overwhelm them.
But they feel it anyway.
They want it.
And there is a good chance they won’t be able to handle it.
But that shouldn’t stop me
from being all that I am.
My allness
is ready
to bloom,
in all
of
its
magnificence.
What if overflowing is just full enough?
Can empty overflow?
What if stillness is found in movement?
Belonging resides within one’s own heart?
Could need be an illusion, and
Beauty be best seen with the eyes closed?
What if love is a natural state of being and everything else a mistruth?
Receiving,
feeling,
all
in
love,
creates not overwhelm,
but allows joy.
What if what we need seek nothing to experience the state of being whole?
Monday Mindfulness 