Monday Mindfulness

Cultivating Strength, Joy, Calm & Resilience


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Full court press

Curled up in a tiny ball,

breath pressing against muscles and bones heavy with the weight of not knowing.

The voice trying to find its footing,

wanting so desperately to be guided to its answers by the outside,

knowing it must dig deep and mine its own direction authentically from within.

In between each sigh,

a tear drops to the floor,

the only sign of motion

in this otherwise still

and down thrown body.

The simultaneous fullness

and emptiness

pulling at its core.

To be all

and

nothing.

Not afraid

to be afraid.


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Dear charioteer

Be firm in your direction of travel,

humbled confidence as your guide.

With peace, kindness, and assuredness,

go forth.

Fulfill your dreams.

Don your most regal robes of passion and creativity.

Harness the flames of focus and determination.

Let the earth quake and rumble,

the skies fill with darkness,

and ride not into conflict and challenge as a battle,

but as an opportunity to demonstrate your

strength,

intelligence,

and fortitude.


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Barely hanging on

Precariously perched on outstretched limbs of past experiences.

Formed of familiar coping mechanisms.

Unable to adapt to the changing conditions.

Heavy with the weight of others bearing down.

Recognizing the temporary nature of this existence.

One swift gust of wind.

One sudden yank from gravity.

All semblance of control,

all sense of purpose and being, melts away

in the free fall.

Crashing into the next newest version of self.


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Allow Me

Root my grounding cord deep into the earth.

Open my mind to the wisdom of the universe.

Flow endless love and joy through the river of my heart.

Fuel me with confidence and clarity.

Allow me to be a humble reservoir of harmony and balance,

in the space between earth and sky,

in this space of being human.


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Walking in the light

Feet to the earth,

Surrounded by air.

Sounds of rustling leaves, branches, and brush accompany every step.

The whispers and shadows of the forest

offer glimpses of light and dark,

solemn quiet and crashing thunder,

scents of decay and signs of new birth.

Never alone, the choice always exists.

To walk with the

doubting self,

the fearful heart,

the closed mind.

Or to soften into

the grace,

the power,

the love,

and

the joy

of choosing

to walk alone

through these woods.


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Flowering

It’s exhausting,

this blooming all the time.

Extracting every nutrient from my veins,

drawing and expending all the energy from my roots.

In my weakest and most depleted state,

this is when I am celebrated and noticed most,

colorful, exotic, intricate, beautiful.

Please stop seeking and suggesting my flowering as a sign of my flourishing.

Please applaud me as I hibernate, drop my leaves, and recoil into my quiet greening.

Please see my faded and dying petals as a sign of my capacity to grow.

Allow me to impress you not by blossoming,

but by being.


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Standing At The Gate

Loss and grief are proof that you have loved.

Love is the gateway to joy,

joy to peace.

You have loved and

known the essence of being loved.

Let the suffering move through you.

Rip yourself open with this grief.

Purify yourself with tears.

Beat your fists on the ground.

Pound your aching heart.

Take and give every punch with gratitude.

Shatter the barrier to feeling it all.

In the shallows of this darkness that accompany the pain,

Let every pain pour out.

Drop for a moment into the stillness,

this vast emptiness your refuge.

And, just as suddenly as the suffering began, a small space,

cleansed by your tears,

and broken open through your courage,

will begin to fill with sweetness, softness, kindness.

A slow, gradual unfolding will take place

as joy reveals itself

shyly,

purely,

authentically,

and more richly

than ever before,

because you have loved

and are willing to love and be loved again.


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Flourishing

Are the flowers each their own?

Are their petals each their own?

To whom do the seeds and leaves belong?

Do they come together to complete the plant?

Is the plant completing them?

Are the flowers extensions of the plant?

Could one survive without the other?

Each part grows uniquely,

in its own special way,

and still, they all contribute to something bigger.

Each part is invited to do their own work,

and to serve one another.

Each part seems separate

and yet only together

do they truly flourish.


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Song of Triumph

Embrace this new beginning.

You are protected and guided by love.

There is no need to pretend to be something you are not.

Lay down the sword you hold against your own heart.

Be who you are.

Allow your memories to sing like sweet songs of triumph and strength,

Of your courage and vitality everlasting.

Have faith that what is yet to come will nourish and comfort your soul.

Move forward with humbled confidence,

A vigilant warrior armed with a quiver of compassion and sensitivity.

Find power, stability, and strength in the quiet and stillness of the winter,

Knowing that you are never truly alone,

And will forever and always be loved.


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I Believe

When I let go of trying to make things happen,

when I stop holding onto the belief that I need to make all the decisions and have all the answers,

I no longer feel an urgency to advance,

to be someone or something in particular.

When I let the work do itself,

methodically and gently applying curiosity and trust,

asking what’s next

without immediately seeking an answer,

allowing options to arise,

instead of predetermining the way,

believing in myself versus holding onto worn out beliefs,

success flows more quickly, smoothly, and freely.

When I take the pressure off myself and those around me to fit into my limiting perspective and beliefs,

I step more fully into my true potential…and they into theirs.

When I stop making myself small through my thoughts and feelings,

when I stop looking to you for answers,

it is clear that I don’t need the answers at all,

merely to hold onto the knowledge that I am doing the work

just by being here.